By DADA AYOKHAI
A leading contender for Edo Labour Party,LP, ticket Barrister Olumide Osaigbovo Akpata has denied any link with the Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki while also distancing himself from the violent protest that occurred at the Benin secretariat of the Labour Party.
Bar. Olumide Akpata was a former President of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA)
In the run-up to the LP guber primary slated for later this month, Barr Akpata alleged that all sorts of negatives issues in the party are being thrown at him which he ascribed to a calculated strategy to impair his chances of emerging as the LP flag-bearer.
However, an agitated Bar. Akpata, looking somewhat rattled and ready to defend his hard-earned reputation of 30 years as a lawyer, has roared back at his traducers.
In a hastily convened interactive session with journalists in Benin, the Edo State capital, a furious Bar. Akpata said
“As a loyal, dedicated member of the Labour Party who has invested significant time, energy, and resources towards building and strengthening the Party across Edo State since I joined, it is both laughable and utterly despicable that I would be linked to any kind of violent protest at the Party’s secretariat.
Setting the records straight, Akpata stated that the protest which rocked the LP secretariat in Benin does not have any bearing whatsoever on him
Recently, a group of LP members stormed the LP secretariat to protest the state of affairs in the party in Edo State. The protest later turned violent with the protesters loudly chanting the “Abure Must Go” chorus.
Soon, the rumor mill went agog that Bar. Akpata sponsored the protesters.
On this, the heavily bearded lawyer washed his hands off the protest, saying he was neither privy to it nor sanctioned it
An enraged Akpata said unequivocally that he had no prior knowledge of the protest nor sanctioned or approved it
He also described as “false, crude, unfounded and rightly ridiculous” the baseless and wicked rumors being circulated to the effect that the protesters were carrying out his bidding
While offering an alibi as to why he should not be linked with the protest, Akpata stated that he was in Abuja when the unfortunate incident took place, and, therefore found it ridiculous that some desperate people would attempt to link him with every negative happening in the party
In particular, he noted that this was exactly what they did the other time when the LP State Youth Leader, Comrade Eragbe was molested by a group of angry youths.
“This is yet another ludicrous attempt to unjustly give a dog a bad name in order to hang it.”
As regards allegations that he is a mole planted to destroy the LP in Edo State by the Edo State governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, Akpata acknowledged that Gov Obaseki is, indeed, his friend and kinsman but vehemently denied being used as a mole , agent or placeholder.
