Olumide Akpata, the Labour Party (LP) candidate for the Edo State governorship election on September 21, has asserted that he will not let the party’s internal crisis distract him from his campaign efforts.
Speaking to journalists on Sunday in Benin, the state capital, Akpata expressed confidence that the internal issues plaguing the LP would not deter Edo voters from supporting him if they resonate with his message.
Addressing the ongoing turmoil within the party, Akpata stated, “If we were having primaries, I would be bothered. But this is a state election, and our target audience is the people of Edo State. They are the electorate. It is their votes that we need. It is not in contention that I am the candidate of the Labour Party. Nobody is contesting that.”
Acknowledging that internal disputes are common in any organization, he emphasized the importance of adhering to legal protocols and maintaining faith in the party’s internal dispute resolution mechanisms to find a solution.
“A united house is better than a divided house,” Akpata noted. “However, I don’t think any voter in Edo will say because there is a quarrel between two people inside one place, they will not go and vote for Olu Akpata. They will listen to the message that Olu Akpata has for them. If they are convinced, they will vote. If they’re not convinced, they won’t vote. All these crises are just side attractions.”
The LP has been embroiled in fresh internal conflict since May 25, following the suspension of National Chairman Julius Abure by Ward 3 in Arue-Uromi, Esan North-East Local Government Area of Edo State. The ward accused Abure of high-handedness and anti-party activities. This suspension was upheld by the state executive committee led by Kelly Ogbaloi.
In response, the national body dissolved the Ogbaloi-led executive on May 27 and installed a caretaker committee headed by former Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Elizabeth Ativie.
On Friday, both Ogbaloi and Ativie attended a stakeholders’ meeting hosted by the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, in Benin, raising concerns among other stakeholders.
The crisis escalated further with the suspension of Ativie on Saturday evening over alleged gross misconduct and insubordination. The decision was made at an enlarged meeting of the LP State Working Committee, attended by local government chairmen and secretaries of the party.
However, Ativie contested her suspension, insisting she remained the legitimate state chairman of the party. “They should know that by the constitution of the Labour Party, no ward or local government chairman has the authority to suspend anybody or the chairman. It is dead on arrival. I am the current state Labour Party chairman in Edo State,” she stated.
