The letter to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise Anderson Uwadiae Asemote and Monday Ojore Mawa as the gubernatorial and deputy governorship candidates does not emanate from the Labour Party.
The National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, Pastor Obiora Ifoh, said in an interview with the Nigerian Tribune that the authors of the letter are desperate people seeking recognition.
He argued that the group of persons could not have conducted a primary that was not known by the public and went ahead to ask the INEC to act on their correspondence.
According to him, “If you write any letter to INEC, the INEC will receive any correspondence because it is a public institute. Even if a madman writes them.
“INEC knows that there was no primary; it did not supervise any other primary but the one conducted by the Party led by Abure.
“INEC knows that they just brought names; there was no primary nothing. We were in Benin that day, and the world knew that Abure had an issue and was released, after which he witnessed the primary.
“How come they did a primary and the media did not know?
“They are just a bunch of desperate people looking for money.
“Apapa has since left them; he is no longer with them. When did you hear Lamidi Apapa speak about them?
The suspended youth leader of the party, Anselm Eragbe, said in a disclaimer that the Apapa-led aggrieved members of the party have only insulted the sensibilities of the party members by the introduction of Anderson Asemote and Monday Mawr to the INEC as the governorship and deputy governorship candidates for the September 21 governorship elections in Edo State.
The letter of disclaimer of Lamidi Apapa, entitled Disclaimer Against Imposition Of Names Of Gubernatorial Candidate & Deputy As Purportedly Written To Inec For Edo State 2024 Primary Election,” said the Apapa-led group lacked locus to do so and called for another primary to replace the names.
The letter reads in part: “That the only thing they have done is to further increase our pains, insult our persons and sensibilities by their actions for not deeming it fit and necessary to consult those of us in the Labour Party LP National Working Committee, NWC from Edo State, and by imposing names for the Edo State Labour Party gubernatorial and deputy governorship candidates without conducting any valid gubernatorial primary in Edo State.
“That, I want to put it on record that a valid primary must be conducted ultimately for the emergence of a validly nominated candidate in the Edo2024 Gubernatorial Election during the substitution window, and that those names be withdrawn from the INEC forthwith with valid withdrawal letters to avoid another instance of signature forgery and falsification of court affidavit ultimately.
“We have maintained that the acting leadership tenure of Apapa and three (3) others expired on November 30, 2023, and that no concerted effort has been made to correct or cure that constitutional defect to re-establish legality based on the May 3, 2023, NEC Resolution in Bauchi State.
Several calls to the Comrade Lamidi Apapa line were not picked up or responded to at the time of filing this report.
It would be recalled that Barr. Olumide Akpata emerged as the candidate of the Labour Party to fly it’s flag in the September elections.