Edo: Drama as Labour Party faction rejects Akpata, announces another candidate

Barely 24 hours after Barrister Olumide Akpata emerged as the candidate of the Julius Abure-led national leadership of the Labour Party for the September 21 Edo State governorship election, the Alhaji Lamidi Apapa-led faction has also unveiled its candidate for the election.

According to DAILY POST, Akpata was declared the party’s candidate in a governorship primary by the Deputy Governor of Abia State, Engr Ikechukwu Emetu, on Friday in Benin City, securing 316 votes to defeat other aspirants, IDOMA VOICE reports.

However, the Apapa-led faction of the party submitted the names of its candidate and deputy governorship candidate in a letter dated February 22, 2024, addressed to the National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in Abuja.

The letter, seen on various social media platforms including the WhatsApp group of the Labour Party in Edo State, was signed by Alhaji Lamidi Apapa as the Acting National Chairman and Alhaji Saleh Lawan as the Acting National Secretary.

In the letter, the governorship candidate was named as Barrister Anderson Uwadiae Asemota, with his running mate being Barrister Monday Ojore Mawah. Apapa stated that the candidates emerged from a primary conducted on February 22, 2024, in Benin City.

When reached for comment, Apapa confirmed the authenticity of the letter, stating, “Yes it is true. The letter is from us.”