Ondo poll: Aiyedatiwa, Ajayi not leading candidates, says LP

The Labour Party in Ondo State has criticized the characterization of All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate Mr. Lucky Aiyedatiwa and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Mr. Agboola Ajayi as the leading contenders for the upcoming governorship election on November 16.

Channels Television has reportedly organized a political debate scheduled for Sunday, featuring Aiyedatiwa and Ajayi, which they claim are the frontrunners in the election.

In a statement released on Saturday by Johnson Egbodofo, the Director of Publicity for the Labour Party Campaign Organization, the party argued that the exclusive invitation to the APC and PDP candidates for the debate was misleading, asserting that their own candidate should also be recognized as a leading contender.

The statement noted, “The Labour Party and its candidates in the Ondo State Governorship Election set for November 16, 2024, have observed an advertisement from Channels TV announcing a live debate on November 3, 2024, featuring only the candidates from the APC and PDP, whom Channels TV mistakenly labeled as the two leading candidates.”

“As a party that values media engagement, we promptly reached out to Channels TV to address this misleading portrayal and to ensure that the people of Ondo State, as well as the station’s global audience, have a fair opportunity to evaluate the political landscape and the candidates’ qualifications.”

“On October 25, our gubernatorial candidate, Chief Olusola Nehemiah Ebiseni, contacted several Channels TV officials who expressed regret over the Labour Party’s exclusion and assured us that corrective measures would be implemented throughout the week. Consequently, we have decided to hold off on any legal or public actions regarding this evidently biased debate.”

The statement emphasized that the Labour Party was the first political party to win two terms in Ondo State since 1999, governing from 2009 to 2017, with Chief Olusola Ebiseni and Adedayo Awude as its gubernatorial and deputy gubernatorial candidates in the current election.

“The Labour Party is the direct predecessor to the current APC administration in Ondo State and remains one of Nigeria’s largest political parties, countering the politically damaging advertisement from Channels TV. We proudly acknowledge that the caliber of candidates has historically influenced gubernatorial elections in Ondo State, which is why parties have previously advised their candidates to refrain from participating in debates, even those organized by Channels TV.”

“To clarify, the Labour Party was the first political entity to win two consecutive terms in Ondo State, governing from 2009 to 2017, and we are the immediate successor to the current APC administration. Our party ranks among the largest in Nigeria, challenging the misleading narrative presented by Channels TV.”

“We want to assure everyone that our party and candidates are ready to participate in this debate, even at this late stage.”