Ondo guber: Ebiseeni dumps PDP, picks LP ticket

Sola Ebiseeni, a former governorship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo, has defected to the Labour Party (LP).

Ebiseeni finished third in the PDP primary with 99 votes behind Agboola Ajayi, the former deputy governor, who won the election.

Ebiseeni is the secretary-general of the Ayo Adebanjo-led faction of Afenifere, the socio-cultural organisation.

He was unveiled in Akure, the state capital, on Tuesday as the flagbearer of the LP in the November 16 off-cycle governorship election.

Speaking at the event, Ebiseeni said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) still allows the substitution of candidates, citing section 33 of the Electoral Act.

“The closure of the window of opportunity for the substitution of candidates according to section 33 of the Electoral Act, which is 90 days before the actual election, would end on August 16,” he said.

“We will get our people working again by putting in place measures that will encourage and enhance industrialisation with the objectives of mass creation of jobs and employment.

“Quality and affordable education and health services, including the mother and child hospitals, will be fairly extended across zones in the state where I’m elected.

“There shall be free child and maternal health care services. We shall build more health centres and hospitals to bring healthcare services closer to the people and train more personnel in all sectors with affordable access to drugs.

“We will pay adequate attention to our rural populace through upgrading and regular maintenance of rural roads and other infrastructures to improve on living to discourage rural-urban drift.”

Ebiseeni added that the LP has a strong presence in the state, noting that many of the “legacy projects” were implemented during the tenure of Olusegun Mimiko, a former Ondo governor.

He said the presence of the party’s high-ranking officials at the unveiling signaled his status as the endorsed governorship candidate.

TheCable cannot independently corroborate whether Ayodele Olorunfemi, whose name is on the INEC list as governorship candidate, has withdrawn from contesting the election.