Edo 2024: Olumide Akpata’s candidacy worthless, group insists
…Says He Faces Disqualification
By Jonathan Imasogie
Shine Your Eyes Group, (SYEG), a pressure group within the Labour Party(LP) in Edo State on Thursday said its candidate for the state guber polls coming up on Saturday, September 21, 2024, Barrister Olumide Akpata, faces imminent disqualification on account of the weighty allegations contained in the Barrister Kenneth Imansuangbon’s applications seeking his disqualification as the party’s standard flag bearer.
The group noted that the campaign organization should concern itself on how Barrister Akpata will 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 is the rightful person that can 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.
In a statement signed by Comrade Jonah Ifada and Secretary, Osagie Omoregie they noted that Akpata antecedence while he held sway as the NBA President was characterized by division as never witnessed in the history of the legal body.
“Under his watch as NBA President, he polarized the association to the point that northerns wanted to form their own body. If the position wasn’t zoned to the South, would he have emerged? But the moment he emerged he made a mess of the NBA by polarizing and tribalizing the body.
“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 millions bags of rice, shared I-pad and computers to universities and secondary schools 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 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 severally adding that they shamefully allocated 7 votes to him.
“They are not even smart in their criminal allocation of votes. Each time crime is committed there will always be a trail. Let us wait for the courts,” SYEG added
