The Alhaji Lamidi Apapa-led faction of Labour Party (LP), has Anderson Uwadiae Asemota and Barrister Monday Ojore Mawah, both Lawyers, as governorship candidate and running mate for the Edo State September 21st gubernatorial election.
This is coming less than 24 hours afterwards Olumide Akpata emerged the candidate of the Labour Party in the governorship election of the state in a primary election conducted under Julius Abure-led national leadership of the Labour Party.
Akpata polled 316 votes to defeat other contenders with a wide margin, with the closest aspirants, Ken Imasuagbon, and Professor Sunny Eromosele scoring seven votes apiece whilev Sergius Ogun scored four votes, Earnest Àyegbe scored three votes.
The Apapa-led faction of the party submitted the names of the party’s nominees in a letter dated February 22, 2024 and addressed to the National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in Abuja.
The letter sighted on several 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.
Apapa said the governorship candidate and his running mate emerged at a primary conducted on February 22, 2024 in Benin City.
When contacted on the phone, Apapa confirmed the letter. He simply said, “Yes it is true. The letter is from us.”
Reacting to development, the Public Relations Officer of the Edo State LP, Sam Uroupa, said the only recognised primary held by the party was the one where Olumide Akpata emerged as the candidate for the governorship election in September.
He said that only one primary took place on Friday and he was not aware that another one took place in the state, adding that the election which threw up Akpata as candidate of the party was free, fair and credible.
He urged the public to disregard the news of the purported primaries held by Apapa as the one conducted under the National chairman, Julius Abure with deputy governor of Abia state, Emetulu Ikecbukwu, as returning officer, the authentic one.
“I urge the public to disregard any claim by the Apapa-led faction that it conducted a primary election in Edo and has a candidate for the September 21 governorship election in the State.
“Olumide Akpata is the only candidate elected in a free, fair and credible election on Friday. He will be on the ballot in the election,” Uroupa stressed.