The Labour Party in Edo State has addressed concerns regarding the perceived lack of preparedness of the Party for the Edo gubernatorial primaries as raised in the letter written to the Independent Electoral Commission, INEC, by Olumide Akpata the gubernatorial aspirant for the Edo 2024 election.
A statement signed by the state’s Publicity Secretary of the party, Sam Uroupa, said the party would not have honoured the letter with a response but for concerns raised regarding integrity, fairness, and transparency of the ward congress and primaries.
The statement reads, “To set the record straight, Olumide Osaigbovo Akpata complained that there is a complete blackout of information on the venues for the 192 ward congress scheduled to hold on 20th February 2024 -is not true.
“Upon the issuance of the guidelines and schedule for the congress and primaries, it was explicitly mentioned that the congresses would convene at the ward headquarters of the 192 wards, as outlined in the guidelines.
“This information alone adequately informs aspirants, delegates, and party members about the designated venue for the congress.
“Also, the Electoral Commissioner, Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Edo State Chapter was duly communicated to via a letter dated 15th February 2024 with Ref. No.: LP/ESO/INEC/2024-322 notifying them of the ward congress taking place on the 20th February 2024 in the ward secretariat across the 192 wards in Edo State”.
The secretary further refuted claims by Akpata that the Party was hesitant to organize a stakeholders meeting stating that it has been organizing a series of stakeholder meetings to inform them about the strategies and activities scheduled for the congress and primaries.
The party also claimed that a screening committee was set up for the delegates to the congress and has come up with its screening report that is already in the public domain of the various LGAs and wards.
Uruopa further disclosed that aspirants who withdrew their ambitions did so because they were not officially recognized as LP aspirants.
“Olumide Osaigbovo Akpata’s claim that the lack of transparency regarding the primary election process resulted in a mass departure of aspirants from the party is false.
“This is because those who withdrew or abandoned their supposed ambitions were not officially recognized as LP aspirants.
“Aspirants are individuals who have successfully purchased both the expression of interest and nomination forms, as opposed to those who merely expressed interest without completing the form purchase. None of the individuals in question acquired either the nomination form or expression of interest,” he said.