Edo Guber: Apapa LP Faction Submits Asemota’s Name to INEC Amidst Controversy

The Edo State Labour Party (LP) is grappling with internal strife as conflicting nominations for the governorship candidacy have emerged from rival factions. Alhaji Lamidi Apapa’s faction finds itself entangled in a controversy as two individuals claim the LP’s governorship ticket for the upcoming election slated for September 21, 2024.

The Abure-led faction of the party, in a declaration made on Friday, February 23, 2024, announced Olumide Apata as its governorship candidate following primaries held in Benin City, the Edo State capital.

However, in a parallel election held in Benin on Saturday, Dr. Hilton Idahosa emerged victorious with 917 votes. His closest competitor secured 17 votes, while the third contender garnered 12 votes.

Unveiling a layer of intrigue, it has come to light that Apapa, absent during the primary election, penned a clandestine letter to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) dated Thursday, February 22, 2024. In the letter, Apapa submitted the names of Messrs. Anderson Asemota and Monday Mawah as the governorship and deputy governorship candidates, respectively.

The letter, signed by Apapa as Acting National Chairman and Alhaji Saleh Lawan as Acting National Secretary, stated, “We write to submit the names of our candidates that emerged from our governorship primary election conducted today (February 22, 2024) in Benin, Edo State.”

In response to this development, Idahosa, a UK-based lawyer, denounced Apapa’s letter as fraudulent. He clarified that the primary election, initially scheduled for Thursday, February 21, 2024, was rescheduled to Saturday, February 24, to accommodate unforeseen circumstances. Idahosa emphasized that the election in which he secured candidacy took place at the Labour Party state officials’ secretariat on First East Circular Road, Benin City, contradicting Apapa’s claim of a primary on February 22.