Edo Gubernatorial Race: Labour Party Faces Internal Strife as Two Factions Emerge

The ongoing crisis within the Edo State Labour Party (LP) deepened yesterday as the National Leadership established a 17-member caretaker committee to manage the party’s affairs in the state. This move follows the expiration of the Kelly Ogbaloi-led executive council’s tenure in April 2024.

The newly formed committee is led by Elizabeth Ativie, a former speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly and a House of Representatives candidate in the 2023 elections. The inauguration took place at a hotel in Benin City, officiated by the Deputy National Chairman of the LP, Dr. Ayo Olorunfemi.

During the ceremony, Dr. Olorunfemi explained that the appointment of the new committee, and particularly Ativie as its chairperson, was due to her impressive track record in previous political roles. He emphasized the need for unity within the party and expressed confidence that the new leadership would strengthen the party in Edo State.

In her acceptance speech, Ativie pledged to elevate the party’s status and reconcile all aggrieved members. She committed to forming a reconciliation team to address ongoing issues within the party.

Our Executive Committee is Still Intact – Uroupa

In response, Samson Uroupa, the Edo Publicity Secretary of the LP, criticized the formation of the caretaker committee. He asserted that the existing executive committee, led by Kelly Ogbaloi, remains in place and that the dissolution decision is not supported by the majority of the party members in the state. Uroupa warned that this move could exacerbate the crisis within the party, potentially undermining the LP’s electoral ambitions in Edo.

It is noteworthy that the state chapter of the party, under Ogbaloi’s leadership, recently endorsed the suspension of the Labour Party National Chairman, Mr. Julius Abure, highlighting the ongoing factional disputes within the party.