The Julius Abure-led Labour Party (LP) has stated that Barr. Olumide Akpata, the party’s candidate in the recently concluded Edo State governorship election, has no grounds to complain about the alleged rigging of the poll by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Akpata, Labour Party’s candidate in the Edo 2024 election, had voiced his disappointment over the election’s conduct, accusing powerful forces of manipulation.
In his post-election statement, Akpata acknowledged the expected influence of powerful forces but expressed shock at the electorate’s actions. “We anticipated that powerful forces would attempt to skew the outcome in their favour, regardless of the will of the people,” he remarked.
However, the party’s Publicity Secretary, Abayomi Arabambi, in a statement from Abeokuta, Ogun State, accused Akpata of manipulating the party’s primary election to secure his candidacy. Arabambi claimed, “Akpata bought all the Labour Party delegates, secured the party structure with gifts and vehicles, and even involved law enforcement to silence those who challenged the process.”
He stated, “Whatever INEC does is considered correct. The issue with Nigerians and their leaders is that if something doesn’t benefit us, we claim it is wrong, but if it does, even if it’s flawed, we call it right.”
He accused former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi and Abia State Governor Alex Otti of recently commending INEC when the commission declared that Julius Abure’s tenure as LP National Chairman had expired.
He added, “Despite knowing that we held a national convention in Nnewi, which INEC attended, and that Alex Otti sponsored the event, with his deputy and commissioners in attendance, they still supported INEC’s claim that Abure’s tenure had expired. They knew INEC’s actions were dishonest and illegal but sided with them to unlawfully take control of the party.”
He continued, “Now, because they lost in Edo, they claim INEC has done the wrong thing.”
He also highlighted that another factor contributing to LP’s defeat was that Olumide Akpata and Governor Godwin Obaseki, who is completing his eight-year term, are from the same local government (Oredo) and senatorial district.
