A group within the Edo State chapter of Labour Party (LP) says governorship candidate of the party in the forthcoming election in the state faces “imminent disqualification considering the “weighty allegations contained in the Barrister Kenneth Imansuangbon’s applications seeking his disqualification as the party’s standard flag bearer.”

In a statement issued by the body’s president, Comrade Jonah Ifada and Secretary, Osagie Omoregie, the group which addresses itself as Shine Your Eyes Group, (SYEG), urged the party campaign council to be more concern defend himself in court on allegations of alleged “perjury, oath of allegiance to another country, the controversy over the choice of his deputy governor, Alufokhai Oluyinka Faith and lying under oath among others.”

The group, while insisting that Imansuangbon is the rightful person that can take the LP on the path of victory at the September 21st governorship election, added that Imansuangbonshould be commended for approaching the courts to “rescue the LP from imminent disgrace.”

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According to the group, Akpata antecedence as the NBA President was characterized by all sorts of issues.

“Imansuangbon has been around before Akpata, and will always be there. We challenge Akpata to show us his kindness to Edo people in the last 10 to 15 years.

“When Imansuangbon was shared over one million bags of rice for the Edo people, shared I-pad and computers to universities and secondary schools students, paid medical bills of the sick, where was Akpata?

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“The cars he bought for LP officials and other things he did to have the party ticket are in the public domain. Now, the ticket is worthless in hand and those that sold it to him.

“In any case, it is not the turn of Edo South. Assuming it is the turn of Edo South, we would have wanted the likes of Pastor Ize-Iyamu, General Charles Airhiavbere, Lucky Imasuen and other notable Edo South indigenes not Akpata.”

All may not be well with the recently inaugurated Edo State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governorship Election Campaign Council as the national leadership of the party Wednesday announced the withdrawal of the earlier published list of members of the council.

A statement in Abuja by the National Publicity Secretary of the Party, Mr. Debo Ologunagba announced the dissolution of the 200 man campaign council.

A close source however confided that the dissolution of the campaign may not be unconnected with the vehement opposition of Governor Godwin Obaseki to the choice of Mr. Iduoriyekemwem, who favours Chief Osaro Idah, the Obazelu of Benin Kingdom as the director general.

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Ahead of the September 21 governorship election, the PDP State Organizing Secretary, Mr. Tony Anenih (jnr) had Thursday, April 26 unveiled a Campaign Council made up of 200 eminent members.

Mr. Anenih (jnr) had defended the choice of the members of the Campaign Council, noting that they are versatile members of the party and were carefully selected to deliver the party’s candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo.

Titled Re: Edo State Governorship Election National Campaign Council List,” Mr. Ologunagba urged all the stakeholders and the general public to disregard the earlier publication and await the updated list.

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The statement read in part: “The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) @OfficialPDPNig clarifies that it has withdrawn the earlier published list of members of the Edo State Governorship Election National Campaign Council.

“Members of our Party in Edo State and the Nation should therefore disregard the earlier publication and await the updated list.

“All leaders, critical stakeholders, members of our Party and the general public should take note accordingly.”

The campaign team of Labour Party Presidential flag bearer, Peter Obi, on Wednesday, announced that the recent visit of the former Anambra governor to the party secretariat in Abuja was a reconciliatory move and not an endorsement as being twisted in a section of the media.

This was disclosed in a statement issued in Abuja by Obi’s Campaign Spokesman, Yunusa Tanko.

To further buttress his point, Tanko also stressed that his principal also met with the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress political arm in the early hours of Wednesday to seek an end to their conflict with the party.

The media was awash with news of Obi and his supporters’ visit to the leadership of the party at the national secretariat in Abuja on Tuesday.

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Wearing a black kaftan and his trademark glasses, the former governor was received by the National Chairman of the party, Julius Abure, and members of his National Working Committee.

A few hours after their visit, a section of the media described the meeting as an open endorsement of the embattled leader of the party and his NWC members following the contentious national convention that returned them to office.

In his statement on Wednesday, Tanko kicked against the report, insisting that it was a reconciliatory visit.

He said, “Obi’s visit to Labour Party headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday was a reconciliatory move not to endorse any group interest in the party. Obi had repeatedly maintained that his interest was to carry everybody along into one strong family and not to endorse anyone’s interest.

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“The visit was part of the consultations Obi has been embarking on in search of peace in the party. In line with this, he also met with the political arm of the NLC and TUC on Wednesday in continuation of his search for peace in the party.

“At his meeting with the workers’ union, the leadership of the NLC/TUC political commission led by comrade Titus Amba and comrade Chris Uyot was also disposed to peace in the party. He clearly made the point that the party needed to reconcile all various positions in a peaceful atmosphere to have a united house that should be all-inclusive.

“He thanked the leadership of the political commission for their understanding and expressed the hope for a good working relationship very shortly. The LP standard bearer also plans to meet with other critical stakeholders like the Obidient to have an all-inclusive political family with a common dream of rescuing Nigeria.”

Tanko’s rebuttal, however, didn’t go down well with the Abure-led NWC.

In a counter statement released barely an hour later, the National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, Obiora Ifoh, warns against twisting the ‘well-intentioned’ visit of their presidential candidate.

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Ifoh also reiterated that both Obi and Abure were on the same page on reconciliation of aggrieved members and stakeholders of the party

He said, “As a party, we are pleased that our leader has chosen to reconcile all aggrieved members and stakeholders of the party. This noble step taken by Mr. Obi is in line with the call made by the Labour Party’s National Chairman, Julius Abure during his maiden press conference last week of Abure-led NWC wherein he pleaded with all the warring parties including the NLC to sheath their swords and join in the rebuilding process in the party.

“Obi’s visit and speech on Tuesday during the FCT solidarity rally has been variedly described in some quarters as an endorsement on the Abure leadership being his very first visit after the successful national convention of the party held in March. To us as a party, we cherish this visit on whatever nomenclature as a positive wind blowing on the party.

“We believe that very soon, the reconciliatory efforts will be consummated and metamorphose into a political force that will usher in a government to liberate Nigerians from the shackles of maladministration we are presently facing in the country.

“Finally, we urge the NLC and its political commission to understand we are not the foe. They see us as an ally in the battle to rescue Nigeria. They should emulate the Trade Union Congress, which has shown greater understanding and willingness to partner with the party in our efforts to make a new Nigeria possible.”