Longtime labour leader Sid Ryan is dropping out of the NDP nomination race in Oshawa, Ont., because he says the party hasn’t approved his candidacy in time to have a fair fight.

In a long post on Facebook, the former president of the Ontario Federation of Labour says “the entire process is a shambles” and complains NDP headquarters has “failed miserably to deliver on the basic principles of openness, fairness and democracy.”

He says he submitted his nomination papers in plenty of time, but hasn’t heard whether the party considers him an acceptable candidate for a nomination vote scheduled for Sept. 6.

He says there now isn’t enough time for him and other candidates to campaign for support from New Democrats in Oshawa.

Ryan has run for the New Democrats five times, in provincial and federal elections, coming a close second several times.

On Facebook, he says he’d reconsider withdrawing if the party assures a “fair process” where all candidates can campaign for members’ votes.