By Raphael Okhiria
The last is yet to be heard or seen of the unfolding drama in the Edo State Labour Party (LP), as Alhaji Lamidi Basiru Apapa and Comrade Julius Abure’s factions are embroiled in a crisis as two candidates have emerged as their governorship candidates for the Edo State Governorship election scheduled to hold on September 21, 2024.
The Abure-led faction of the party on Friday, February 23, 2024, declared Olumide Apata as it governorship candidate following the primary election conducted by it in Benin City, the Edo State capital.
Also, in a parallel election held in Benin City on Saturday, February 24, Dr Hilton Idahosa, emerged as the winner, with 917 votes. His closet rival scored 17 votes while the third contender garnered 12 votes.
However, it has emerged that Apapa, who was not present during the paralled primary election had written a secret letter to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), dated Thursday February 22, 2024, in which he submitted the names of Barrister Anderson Uwadiae Asemota and Barrister Monday Ojore Mawah as governorship and deputy governorship candidates respectively of the party.
The letter signed by Apapa, as Acting National Chairman, and Alhaji Saleh Lawan, as Acting National Secretary, reads in part; ‘‘We write to submit the names of our candidates that emerged from our governorship primary election conducted today (February 22, 2024) in Benin, Edo State.
‘‘You will recalled that we had earlier notified the Commission about the conduct of our party governorship primary today and we hereby forward the names of our party flag bearer for the September 21, 2024 governorship election.’’
But reacting to this development, Idahosa, who is a United Kingdom-based lawyer, described the purported letter from Apapa as fake. He explained that the primary election which was earlier slated for Thursday, February 22, 2024, was shifted to Saturday February 24, to allow for exigencies.
According to him, there was no primary election conducted on Friday February 22, as purported in the said letter from Apapa to INEC. He said that the election in which he (Idahos) emerged as a candidate was conducted by the Labour Party state officials at the secretariat of the party on First East Circular Road, Benin City.
Idahosa noted that the said letter is the handiwork of mischief makers who are bent on causing disaffection within the ranks of the party.
Idahosa further noted that he has the backings of the state leaders and the party members, as well as that of Apapa and his team, disclosing that the true position will be made known in the coming days as his team is in dialogue with both the Apapa team and leaders of the party in the state.
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