Edo guber: Labour Party group faults Akpata’s candidacy

A pressure group within the Edo State chapter of the Labour Party (LP), the Shine Your Eyes Group, (SYEG), on Thursday, raised the alarm that the party’s governorship candidate for the September 21, 2024 gubernatorial election, Mr Olumide Akpata, faced imminent disqualification on account of the weighty allegations levelled against him by one of the aspirants in the party, Mr. Kenneth Imansuagbon.

Imansuagbon, it would be recalled, had after the governorship primary of the party, filed suits against Akpata, challenging his candidacy on the grounds of dual citizenship, incorrect documentation and others.

SYEG counselled that the LP campaign organisation should concern itself on how Akpata would defend himself in court against allegations of perjury, oath of allegiance to another country, the controversy over the choice of his deputy governor, Alufokhai Oluyinka Faith, and lying under oath among others. 

The group insisted that Imansuangbon remained the rightful person who could restore the LP on the path of victory at the September 21st governorship election and should be commended for approaching the courts to rescue the LP from imminent disgrace. 

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In a statement endorsed by Comrade Jonah Ifada and Secretary, Osagie Omoregie, the group noted that Akpata’s antecedents while he held sway as the NBA President were characterised by division as never witnessed in the history of the legal body. 

According to SYEG, “Imansuangbon has been around before Akpata and will always be there. We challenge Akpata to show us his kindness to Edo people in the last 10 to 15 years. While Imansuangbon has been there for the poor and shared over one million bags of rice, shared I-pad and computers to universities and secondary school students, paid medical bills of the sick, where was Akpata?

“The cars he bought for LP officials and the dollars he shared are in the public domain to have the party’s ticket. Now the ticket is worthless in his hand and those that sold it to him. In any case, it is not the turn of Edo South. Assuming it is the turn of Edo South we have the likes of Pastor Ize-Iyamu, General Charles Airhiavbere, Lucky Imasuen and other notable Edo South indigenes, not Akpata.”

The group said Imansuangbon, aka, The Riceman, visited and campaigned vigorously in the 192 political wards, lamenting that he was shamefully allotted seven votes.