From Tony Osauzo, Benin
The Shine Your Eyes Group (SYEG), a pressure group within the Edo State chapter of the Labour Party, has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State for adhering to the principles of fairness and equity in the choice of their governorship candidate and running mate.
In a statement signed by its Chairman, Comrade Jonah Ifada, and Secretary, Osagie Omoregie, SYEG criticised the Labour Party’s leadership for going against these core principles by nominating a candidate from Edo South in a skewed primary.
The group’s statement was a reaction to the Benin Youth Council’s (BYC) appeal to Kenneth Imansuangbon to withdraw his candidacy and support Olumide Akpata in his governorship bid. SYEG argued that Akpata should instead step down for the more popular Imansuangbon to avoid embarrassment for the Labour Party at the September governorship election, emphasising that it is not the turn of Edo South to produce the governor.
“Look at what President Tinubu and the leadership of APC did in Edo State,” the statement read. “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.”
SYEG questioned whether Olumide Akpata is more popular than prominent politicians like Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, Lucky Imansuen, and General Charles Airhiavbere, who all stepped down from the race in support of zoning. The group urged Akpata to follow their example and step down for Imansuangbon to save the Labour Party from shame, adding that Imansuangbon has vowed to fight his case to a logical conclusion.
Imansuangbon has challenged the emergence of Olumide Akpata as the Labour Party candidate in court, contending that Akpata committed offences ranging from providing false information to acquiring citizenship of another country, which violates the Nigerian Constitution.
He also seeks a court determination on 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.”