December 29, (THEWILL) – The Labour Party (LP) has urged the public to disregard online reports that it warned a former chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Barr. Olumide Osaigbovo Akpata, who is one of its frontline aspirants for the 2024 Governorship Election in Edo State, to stay off the race.
A statement signed by Comr. Sam Uroupa, Publicity Secretary and Image maker of the Labour Party in Edo State, said the purported order to Akpata came from a “low mind, meddlesome interloper” and expelled member, Abayomi Arabambi.
The statement reads: “The attention of Edo State Labour Party has been drawn to the publication with the above caption trending in some online news links and social media platforms by one Mr. Abayomi Arabambi, saying that a foremost frontline Aspirant of Edo 2024 Governorship election under the platform of Labour Party, Barr. Olumide Osaigbovo Akpata, should stay off from the Edo Governorship Race.
“Ordinarily, Edo State Labour Party would not have responded to such low mind and meddlesome interloper but for the sake of the reading public, wish to make the following clarifications:
1. That Mr. Abayomi Arabambi is not a member of the Labour Party, he has been expelled from the Party long ago;
2. That Mr. Abayomi Arabambi is not an indigene of Edo State nor a registered voter from Edo State, hence he has no locus standi to determine who should aspire or not aspire for Governor of Edo State come 2024;
3. That Edo State Labour Party accused Olumide Osaigbovo Akpata of serving as Governor Obaseki’s operative within the party is false and baseless.
In one of Olumide Osaigbovo Akpata’s News Letters with the Caption “Olumide Osaigbovo Akpata is His Own Man” wherein he, Olumide Osaigbovo Akpata, debunked the claim that he is being sponsored by the incumbent Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki of the Peoples Democratic Party, as being “entirely baseless and untrue”; and
4. That Edo State Labour Party as led by Comr. Kelly Ogbaloi DID NOT AT ANY POINT IN TIME ISSUED ANY WARNING TO BARR. OLUMIDE OSAIGBOVO AKPATA or any other frontline aspirant to stay off the Edo Governorship Race as claimed by Abayomi Arabambi.
“Therefore, we wish to advise the reading public to ignore whatever is coming out from Mr. Abayomi Arabambi.
“Edo State Labour Party is using this media to make it categorically clear that the former NBA President, Barr. Olumide Osaigbovo Akpata, is among the top aspirants for the Edo Governorship Race without any encumbrances.
“We, therefore, urge Barr. Olumide Osaigbovo Akpata, his supporters and the general public to ignore news publications emanating from the said Mr. Abayomi Arabambi and his cohort.”
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