By Joshua Tosin Ogunsakin 
The Ondo state chapter of the Labour Party (LP) kicked against the restriction of the planned debate of the governorship candidates of political parties by Channels Television to two political parties on Saturday, saying the media outfit was ill-advised, as it was not the representation of reality in the state.
The party slammed the organisers for limiting the planned live debate to two candidates of All Progressives Congres (APC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as two leading candidates in the election, saying the debate was designed “with a view to manipulate the choices of the people, ever used to determine participation.”
In a statement by LP, the Director of Publicity Labour Party Campaign Organisation, Prince Olu Johnson Egbodofo, described limiting the planned debate by Channels to the candidates of APC and PDP as an orchestrated perversion of the will of the people of Ondo State in the November 16th governorship election.
Egbodofo explained that the LP as a party had drawn the attention of the organisers to the error while they promised to make amends but nothing was done till date
He stated that “the attention of the Labour Party and its candidates in the Ondo State Governorship Election scheduled for the 16th day of November 2024 has been drawn to an advert by Channels Television of its planned live debate on Sunday, 3rd November 2024, for candidates of the ruling APC and PDP, which Channels ill-advisedly described as “the two leading candidates in the election.
“As a media-friendly organisation and personalities, we took immediate steps to contact CHANNELS and its officials, particularly Seun Okinbaloye, who is the anchor of the debate, not to use the station’s authoritative media status to mislead but to accord the people of Ondo State and the station’s global audience the opportunities of a fair assessment of the status of the political parties and quality of the candidates for the election.
“From Friday, October 25th, our gubernatorial candidate, Chief Olusola Nehemiah Ebiseni, contacted several officials of Channels, particularly Seun Okinbaloye, who expressed regrets for the exclusion of the Labour Party and promised to make amends throughout the week, for which reason all legal and public actions against this obviously compromised debate were kept in abeyance.
“For the avoidance of any doubt, Channels and Seun Okinbaloye have organised Governorship candidate’s debate in Ondo State in 2012, 2016 and 2020 for not less than three candidates at any point and at no time was the subjective and unfair terms of “leading candidates” with a view to manipulate the choices of the people, ever used to determine participation.”
He stated further that “For the avoidance of any doubt, the Labour Party is the first political party since 1999 to have been voted two terms and administered Ondo State from 2009 to 2017, in which outstanding Government Chief Olusola Ebiseni and Adedayo Awude were its Governorship and Deputy Governorship candidates in this election.
“Labour Party is the immediate predecessor of the present APC administration in Ondo State and one of the largest parties in Nigeria today, contrary to the deliberate politically injurious advertisement by Channels.
“We are proud to say that from Adekunle Ajasin, Bamidele Olumumilua, Adebayo Adefarati, Olusegun Agagu, Olusegun Mimiko and Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, the intellectual pedigree and capacity of candidates has been a strong determinant of the governor of Ondo State by-elections, for which reason parties have in the past advised their candidates to avoid debates even organised by Channels.
“We wish to let the world know that our party and candidates are available for this debate, even at this eleventh hour. 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.
“If it cannot be fair to the parties and candidates and give the people of Ondo State fair opportunities to choose their leaders, let Channels respect its reputation and put this charade of a debate on hold.”