..Says LP has murdered sleep in Edo
From Tony Osauzo, Benin
Shine Your Eyes Group (SYEG), a pressure group within the Edo State chapter of Labour Party, yesterday, 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 candidate 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 nominating a candidate from Edo South in a skewed primary.
The Shine Your Group statement is a reaction the Benin Youth Council (BYC) appeal to Kenneth Imansuangbon to sheath his sword and join hands with Olumide Akpata in his governorship bid.
The group contended that Akpata should rather step down for a more popular Imansuangbon to avoid embarrassment at the September governorship election in the state, pointing that it is not the turn of Edo South.
“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 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”, it said.
Recall that Imansuangbon had gone to court to challenge the emergence of Olumide Akpata as the candidate of the Labour Party, contending that Mr. Olumide Akpata committed offences ranging from giving false information to the acquisition of citizenship of another country, which is a grand departure from the Nigerian Constitution’s accepted norms
Besides, he wants 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 grounds.