LP Gubernatorial Race Heats Up: Imansuangbon Challenges Akpata’s Candidacy in Court

Kenneth Imansuangbon, a gubernatorial aspirant under the Labour Party (LP) in Edo State, has filed a lawsuit against the party’s chosen candidate, Olumide Akpata, at both the Federal High Courts in Benin and Abuja, seeking Akpata’s disqualification from the upcoming elections.

Imansuangbon, popularly known as “Riceman” due to his charitable acts of distributing rice to residents across Edo’s 18 local governments, alleges that Akpata, the former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), should not be the party’s flag bearer for the September 21 election.

In the suit filed at the Benin Division of the Federal High Court by his legal representative, A. A. Malik, Imansuangbon contests the decision of LP to declare Akpata as the winner of the party’s primary election held on February 23.

Furthermore, in a separate suit filed in Abuja and observed by our correspondent in Benin, Imansuangbon accuses Akpata of providing false information to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and perjuring himself.

Imansuangbon argues that Akpata’s candidacy violates Section 222 (c) of the Nigerian Constitution, as amended, and Article 28 of the party’s guidelines for conducting primary elections. He seeks to invalidate the votes garnered by Akpata in the primary election.