A pressure group within the Edo State chapter of the Labour Party (LP), under the umbrella of Shine Your Eyes Group (SYEG), on Thursday threw its weight behind the zoning arrangements that produced Edo Central candidates for the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the September 21, 2024, governorship election in the state.
The group specifically commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the leaders of the APC in Edo State for adhering to the principles of fairness and equity in the choice of gubernatorial candidates and running mates for the party.
SYEG, in a statement endorsed by its Chairman, Comrade Jonah Ifada, and Secretary Osagie Omoregie, said the LP had stirred controversy in Edo State when the party’s leadership decided to go against the core principles of fairness, equity, and justice by favoring a candidate from Edo South in a skewed primary.
Shine Your Eyes Group, in an apparent reaction to a news report by the Benin Youth Council (BYC) on Wednesday, where it appealed to Mr. Ken Imansuangbon, one of the LP’s aspirants for the governorship seat, to sheath his sword and join hands with Olumide Akpata in his gubernatorial bid, stated that Akpata should instead step down for the more popular Imansuangbon to avoid embarrassment in the September governorship election in the state, noting that it is not the turn of Edo South to produce the next governor.
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“Look at what President Tinubu and the leadership of the APC did in Edo State. They decided to abide by the principles of fairness, equity, and justice, which are fundamental to any development, just like what the PDP did. The Labour Party should have taken a cue from the APC.
“Are you saying Olumide Akpata is more popular than great and experienced politicians like Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, Lucky Imansuen, General Charles Airhiabvere, 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 Labour Party from shame. Imansuagbon has vowed to fight his case to a logical conclusion,” SYEG emphasized.
It would be recalled that Imansuangbon had gone to court to challenge the emergence of Olumide Akpata as the Labour Party candidate.
Imansuangbon, in his petition, stated that Akpata committed offenses ranging from giving false information to the acquisition of citizenship of another country, which is a grand departure from the norms accepted by the Nigerian Constitution.
The educationist wanted the court to determine whether Akpata “has not supplied or otherwise given false information to the INEC within the meaning or contemplation of the provisions of section 29(5) of the Electoral Act 2022 read together with section 182(1) (a) and (j) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended),” among other allegations.
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