Labour Party Rejects Exclusion From Channels TV Ondo Governorship Debate, Says PDP, APC Are Not ‘Leading Parties’
Labour Party Slams Channels TV for Excluding Its Candidate from Ondo Governorship Debate
The Labour Party (LP) has strongly criticised Channels Television over its planned gubernatorial debate for the upcoming Ondo State election, which excludes the party’s candidate while featuring only the contenders from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
In a statement issued by Prince Olu Johnson Egbodofo, Director of Publicity for the Labour Party Campaign Organisation, the party described the exclusion as a "deliberate and politically injurious" move aimed at manipulating public perception ahead of the November 16 election.
Channels Television had advertised a live debate scheduled for Sunday, November 3, which it billed as featuring "the two leading candidates" — Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa (APC) and Mr. Agboola Ajayi (PDP). This characterisation, the Labour Party says, is both misleading and undemocratic.
LP Demands Inclusion, Recalls Past Precedents
“The attention of Labour Party and its candidates in the Ondo State Governorship Election… has been drawn to an advert by Channels Television… which Channels ill-advisedly described as ‘the two leading candidates in the election,’” the statement read.
The party stated that its candidate, Chief Olusola Nehemiah Ebiseni, reached out to debate anchor Seun Okinbaloye and other Channels TV officials as far back as October 25. According to Egbodofo, Okinbaloye expressed regret and promised to amend the format — promises the party claims have not been fulfilled.
The LP noted that in previous Ondo debates hosted by the same media house in 2012, 2016, and 2020, no candidate was excluded under the pretext of being “non-leading.”
“For the avoidance of any doubt, Labour Party is the first political party since 1999 to have been voted two terms and administered Ondo State from 2009 to 2017,” the statement added. “Our candidates were Commissioners during that period and are intellectually capable of contesting ideas in a fair debate.”
A Call for Transparency or Cancellation
The party warned that excluding LP from the debate could be construed as an attempt to “deliberately rig” the election by influencing public opinion through selective media exposure.
“We are still sceptical that Channels will lend itself to the deliberate rigging of the Ondo State Governorship Election by pre-judging the capacities of political parties and their candidates,” the statement said.
“If it cannot be fair to the parties and give the people of Ondo State a level playing field, let Channels respect its reputation and put this charade of a debate on hold.”
The Labour Party reiterated that its candidates remain willing to participate in the debate, even at the last minute, if given a fair opportunity.
The Ondo State governorship election is scheduled to take place on November 16, 2024.
