Edo 2024: Destructive Rumbling, Crumbling in Edo LP
By Elempe Dele
The Labour Party, LP, in Edo State is like a tattered rebel flag ready to be buried among ruins. As of today, the voting strength of the party can be packed into a matchbox. Its members have since been diffused into their original political parties, mostly the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, which formed the bulk of members of the Obidient Movement.
Olumide ‘Osaigbovo’ Akpata, unlike those who contested under LP during the general election, came at the wrong time in the recent history of the Party. What deceived him, the adopted Osaigbovo, into the Edo State gubernatorial race was the exploit of the Obidient Movement in last years election in the state which saw Peter Obi, the presidential candidate, and others winning in Edo State. Little did he calculate with time that the ‘effizy’ has since faded and fizzled out like vapour.
Today, the trouble in LP cannot be solved by the greatest clairvoyant in Africa. Party has two individuals who are laying claim to the office of the Chairman of the Party in Edo State: Comrade Kelly Ogbaloi, who is loyal to Akpata, and Elizabeth Ativie, who is loyal to the embattled Bar Julius Abure, the National Chairman of LP, as of now.
In an event that could be likened to a coup de tat, the Deputy National Chairman, Dr. Ayo Olorunfemi, recently inaugurated a new Caretaker Committee of the Party in Benin City. Speaking during the event, he claimed the tenure of the Ogbaloi-led executive council ended in April 2024.
However, during the visit of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof Mahmood Yakubu’s to Benin City, party leadership of various political parties present where asked to introduce themselves. While Elizabeth Ativie introduced herself as the chairman of the Party, Comrade Kelly Ogbaloi also introduced himself as the chairman of the Party. This brought confusion in the minds of those who were there present, and the crowd went into feats of uncontrollable laughter.
One would think the Party would have been able to put its house in order as advised by the INEC boss during the event. But no, they rather escalated the problem. Yesterday, the drama in the dying Party continued when Kelly Ogbaloi ratified the suspension of the caretaker committee chairman over alleged misconduct and insubordination.
The target of the Bar Abure’s arrow is Akpata who was accused within the corridors of rumours of orchestrating the arrest and humiliation of the Party’s chairman for not supporting his ambition. According to several sources, Abure vowed to take his pound of flesh.
The plan of Abure is simple: the names of party officials he would submit to INEC would be the names of party members and non-members that will not help Akpata’s cause during the election. The officials, as the source said, will help other political party to make Akpata fail woefully across the 18 Local Government Areas, LGAs.
The LP in Edo State has gone south with certainty, and Akpata is sadly aware as the darkness of defeat owing to these two very unfortunate cataclysmic developments in the Party. When you want to know a candidate that is vying to waste money in an election, look no further, it is Olumide Akpata, if you like, add Osaigbovo, na you sabi.
