By Joseph Kanjo

A Labour Party (LP) governorship aspirant in the 2024 Edo State governorship election, Olumide Osaigbovo Akpata, Esq. has said that if the party must win the forthcoming gubernatorial election, “they must put forward a candidate that can match up to the opponents we know we will confront at the election.”

He said except the intention of the party participating in the governorship election is not to win, but if the intention is to win, “it must be palm-for-palm,” declaring that he is the only one who can make such match with the opponents.

The immediate past President, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) who stated this in Benin on Saturday shortly after being honoured as Guest of Honour at Edo NUJ 2023 Press Week, added that he expects the LP to make the right choice by picking him as the flagbearer of the party in the governorship election.

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According to him, he has been going round the 18 local governments canvasing potential delegates with the expectation that when the time comes they will make the right choice by voting him at the primary.

He added: “I have been canvasing our potential delegates; I have been speaking to persons who belong to a pull from which delegates will be selected. I have been speaking to them, and I hope that the message that I have been passing across will not fall to the bear ground. I have traveled the 18 local governments.”

Akpata continued: “If Labour Party is ever going to win the election in Edo State, they must put forward a candidate that can match up to the opponents we know we will confront at the election. Except the intention is not to win, if the intention is to win, it must be palm-for-palm. We cannot compare apples and oranges, you must compare apples and apples.”

READ ALSO: Edo 2024: Why I Am Aspiring On The Platform Of LP – Akpata, Ex-President, NBA

On the allegation that he is using his financial strength to make sure he gets the party ticket by all means, the former NBA President said: “I have been a Lawyer for 30 years, I have worked only as a Lawyer, maybe a few businesses on the side that have come out of the fact that I am a lawyer. So, I think I have succeeded. I am the type who spend in what I believe in. It is when you spend your treasure in what you believe in, that is when you can be taken seriously. The funniest thing is that those who are calling me money bag have been spending lavishly even before I came into the scene. I just wondered what the issue really is. When people feel uncomfortable, and they see a competition that they cannot really match up to, they must look for a fault. It is a case of give a dog a bad name so you can hang him.”

On allegation that he is being sponsored by Governor Godwin Obaseki, Akpata said: “this is an unfounded rumour, it is baseless. My relationship with the Governor for years has never been hidden.”

A lawyer, Femi Emodamori, has faulted the claim made by the Ondo State Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Razaq Obe, that the signature of his boss, Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, is being forged.

Emodamori, who questioned the authenticity of the claim made by Obe, stated that the series of loopholes in the purported forensic report allegedly carried out on the governor’s signature gave those behind the development out on their motives.

On Friday, Obe raised the alarm about the alleged forgery of the governor’s signature on some documents he received from the office of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG).

In a letter addressed to the deputy governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, to alert him to the development, the commissioner revealed that forensic experts had also confirmed the signature to have been forged.

READ ALSO: Officials Signing Documents In Akeredolu’s Name, SAN Alleges

According to the lawyer, in the report, the document with which the forensic analysis of the governor’s signature was carried out was not stated, and the individual or body that requested the analysis is fictitious, which he said cannot be entertained in law.

While emphasising that the Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources might be playing out the ploy of one of the warring parties involved in political doldrums in the state, Emodamori stressed that Obe has for a while not been in the camp of Akeredolu but that of the deputy governor.

Emodamori, who stated that Obe is the first suspect in the alleged forgery of the governor’s signature, maintained that it is only Akeredolu who can say that his signature has been forged.

“Firstly, contrary to the Commissioner’s claim, the purported forensic report names the client who requested the examination as “Act for Positive Transformation Initiative” and not Engr. Rasaq Obe or the Ondo State Commissioner for Energy.

READ ALSO: Ondo Exco Divided Over Vote Of Confidence In Akeredolu

“This means that either the Hon. Commissioner or the purported forensic report is lying about who hired the services of the alleged forensic expert who supposedly produced it.

“I addressed the above observation first, because the source of any documents that a forensic expert claims to have examined is very crucial in determining the issue of forgery.

“And to call a spade a spade, Engr. Rasaq Obe himself would be the number one suspect in the course of such an investigation, while the purported forensic expert would also be very useful to the security agencies.

“The investigation should then be conducted on the owner of the alleged forged signature(s), who is the governor, as he alone could confirm whether his signature was forged on the subject documents or not.”

Four members of the Rivers State House of Assembly may be the first casualties in the ongoing political war between the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara and the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.

A group known as Ogoni Development Drive (ODD) said that it has begun the process to recall the four lawmakers over their alleged roles in the botched impeachment of Governor Fubara.

The affected lawmakers are Dumle Maol (PDP, Gokana constituency); Barile Nwakoh (PDP, Khana), Aforji Igwe (PDP, Eleme) and Bernard Ngba (PDP, Tai).

Convener of the group, Comrade Solomon Lenu who made this known at a news conference in Port Harcourt said the move was necessary to “save our democracy”, adding that other regions of the country would take a cue from them.

READ ALSO: Rivers Crisis: I Won’t Surrender To Blackmail, Intimidation – Fubara

“ODD had on Nov. 10 issued a seven-day ultimatum to the four Ogoni lawmakers, who partook in the plot that attempted to serve an impeachment notice to Gov. Fubara.

“The four lawmakers, now suspended, were asked to apologise to the Ogoni people whom they represent and to Gov. Fubara for denigrating his exalted office or risk being recalled.

“Instead of heeding this advice and embracing the olive branch extended to them, they rather embarked on an egocentric escapade,” he said.

Lenu further said the lawmakers rather than heed the advice by ODD engaged in various meetings that purportedly plotted to unseat the governor.

“Gov. Fubara was collectively voted for by the entire Rivers people, and as such, the action by the lawmakers has not gone well with all men and women of conscience.

READ ALSO: Rivers Youths Storm Government House In Solidarity With Fubara

“It is illogical for the erring assembly members to think it is right to impeach an innocent governor for no just cause but wrong to recall them for erring against their constituents.

“The suspended lawmakers called the bluff of ODD ultimatum, and so, we have decided to carry out this recall process in earnest, to put our democracy aright,” he said.

Lenu said the group had already reached an advanced level in sensitising and mobilising the lawmakers’ constituents to recall them. He said that ODD had also obtained the comprehensive voters’ register of all voters in the four local government areas and constituencies.

According to him, an electronic capture form has also been created to make the petition process easier for students at various tertiary school campuses and those on holiday to sign the petition.

“So far, the response from the aggrieved constituents has been very impressive, and we shall in a few weeks’ time complete the compilation of the required signatures.

READ ALSO: Fubara: Rivers Crisis Spikes As Two Factional Assembly Lawmakers Hold Separate Sittings

“The signatures are required for INEC to call for a referendum, which shall be carried out in branches with strict security guidance, to abort any sinister counterplot against democracy.

“We know this process is not going to be easy, but we are ready to go all the way, to create a sense of responsibility in our elected leaders,” he said.

Lenu said instilling a sense of responsibility in politicians and elected leaders would further entrench democratic tenets in the country. The ODD convener called on the people of Ogoni to come forward and sign the petition, to end political “jamboree and illicit godfatherism” in the state.

It will be recalled that 26 lawmakers on Oct. 30 proceeded to impeach Fubara but were stopped by four pro-Fubara lawmakers led by Ehie Edison (PDP-Ahoada East II).

Martins Amaewhule (Obio Akpor constituency) and a close ally of a former governor, was later ousted as Speaker and Ehie sworn in as the new Speaker. He insists that he is still the Speaker of the House of Assembly, resulting in some form of confusion over the office of the Speaker.
VANGUARD