Politics

Edo 2024: LP Must Field Candidate Capable Of Giving Opponents A Run – Akpata

Published

2 years ago

December 9, 2023

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.

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.”

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.”

Politics

Why We’re Impeaching Fubara — Rivers Assembly

Published

1 hour ago

January 8, 2026

Editor

The Rivers State House of Assembly has given reasons for the ongoing impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

The Majority Leader of the Assembly, Major Jack, said the decision to impeach the governor and his deputy was based on their alleged persistent violation of the peace agreement brokered by President Bola Tinubu.

Jack made the allegation during plenary on Thursday while presenting the report detailing acts of misconduct against the governor.

According to him, Governor Fubara and his deputy had repeatedly disregarded the resolutions reached during reconciliation efforts aimed at restoring stability in the state.

He accused the two leaders of running the affairs of government without commitment to transparency and good governance.

“The governor and his deputy have continued to act in a manner that undermines democratic principles and accountability,” Jack said.

He further alleged that the peace deals facilitated by President Tinubu were breached on several occasions, including agreements reached during reconciliation meetings held in December 2023 and another in 2025.

Jack insisted that the continued failure of the governor and his deputy to honour the terms of the peace accord necessitated the impeachment process currently before the Assembly.

Politics

‘We’ll Do Everything To Stop It’ – APC Rejects Fubara’s Impeachment

Published

2 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Editor

The All Progressives Congress, APC, Rivers State chapter, has vehemently rejected the move by the State House of Assembly to impeach Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy.

The Assembly had earlier on Thursday commenced an impeachment process against Fubara over alleged misconduct.

The impeachment notice is expected to be issued to the governor and his deputy in the next seven days.

Reacting, the Rivers APC, in a statement issued by its Publicity Secretary, Darlington Nwauju, rejected the move.

“Our position as at today on this matter is that we solemnly reject the resort to an impeachment process against our governor and his deputy.

“It will be totally untenable for our party to keep quiet when an obvious hangover from strifes that occurred within the PDP are allowed to resurface in our great party,” Darlington said.

He added that the ruling party “will do everything possible to ensure that the Government of Rivers State, which is an APC government, is not destabilized”

Politics

Rivers Crisis: Bad People Won’t Prevail Over Us – Wike

Published

2 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Editor

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, says God will not allow “bad people” prevail in Rivers State.

Wike made the statement on Thursday during his ‘thank-you-visit’ to the Bonny Island area of Rivers State.

“I appreciate you because you have shown me love and shown that you are people that can be trusted.

“I have told people that I don’t believe in generalizing, if for example somebody in Bonny disappoints you, you said Bonny people are bad, that’s very wrong.

“There are different kinds of people.There are places you have armed robbers, you have good people who stay there. So you can’t say because someone is bad so everyone there is bad. That’s not it.

“The good people are more in number than the few people who want to rub us black, but God, in His infinite mercy, will not allow evil to prevail over light,” he said.

Wike’s statement is coming after the Rivers State House of Assembly began impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara.