Edo Guber 2024: Step down for Imansuangbon now, group tells LP’s Akpata
Imasogie Douglas.
-A fresh crisis has hit the Labour Party (LP) in Edo State over the governorship ticket, between the party’s governorship candidate, Akpata and a chieftain of the party, Eddy Imasuagbon.
-Imasuagbon, who lost the party’s primary election to Akpata, has given the party a seven-day ultimatum to address his grievances or face legal action.
Read: Edo 2024: Akpata and UNIBEN incident: Unravelling paradox of political lawyer
-Imasuagbon is demanding that the party’s national leadership should cancel the primary election and conduct a fresh one.
-He alleges that the primary election was marred by irregularities and that the party’s leadership in the state is biased in favour of Akpata.
Imasuagbon also claims that he has evidence of financial inducement and manipulation of the delegates’ list during the primary election.
-The LP’s state chairman, Kelly Ogbaloi, has dismissed Imasuagbon’s allegations, saying that the primary election was free and fair.
-The party’s national leadership has not reacted to Imasuagbon’s ultimatum, but sources say that the leadership is divided over the issue.
-The crisis has sparked fears that it could affect the party’s chances in the forthcoming governorship election in Edo State.
A pressure group within the Edo State Labour Party (LP), Shine Your Eyes Group (SYEG), has called on Barrister Olumide Akpata, the party’s candidate for the September 21 governorship poll in the state, to step down for Barrister Kenneth Imansuangbon in the spirit of fairness, equity and justice.
The group commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the leaders of the All Progressives Congress(APC) in Edo State for adhering to the principle of fairness, equity in the choice of its governorship candidates and running mate.
The group in a statement signed by its Chairman, Comrade Jonah Ifada and Secretary, Osagie Omoregie said the LP has murdered sleep in Edo State when the leadership of the party decided to go against the core principle of fairness, equity and justice by throwing a candidate from Edo South in a skewed primary.
SYEG in an apparent reaction to a news report by the Benin Youth Council (BYC), on Wednesday where it appealed to Barrister Ken Imansuangbon to sheathe his sword and join hands with Olumide Akpata in his governorship bid, said Akpata should rather step down to a more popular Imansuangbon to avoid embarrassment in the September 21 governorship election in the state noting that it is not the turn of Edo South.
The group argued, “Look at what President Tinubu and the leadership of APC did in Edo State. They decided to abide by the principle of fairness, equity and justice which are fundamental to any development just like what the PDP did. The LP should have taken a cue from the APC.
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“Are you saying Olumide Akpata is more popular than great and experienced politicians like Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, Lucky Imansuen and others who decided to drop their ambition in support of zoning? Akpata should do the needful and step down for Imansuangbon now and save the LP from shame.
Imansuagbon has vowed to fight his case to a logical conclusion.”
