The governorship candidate of the Labour Party in Edo State, Olumide Akpata says he doesn’t have a godfather and benefactor to assist in his bid to win the upcoming September 2024. Akpata made this known in an interview on Arise TV on Tuesday, August 27. “I have no godfather or benefactor. It is good who has seen me through,” he said.
He also denied a secret alliance with the All Progressives Congress (APC) as alleged by the PDP.
In a statement, he said the supposed evidence that is being circulated by nay-sayers with him and the current Chief of Staff to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila, from 2020 and 2022 was when he served as President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).
He said that the baseless claim is nothing more than a frantic attempt to muddy the political discourse – an unnecessary distraction born out of the palpable fear of those who see their iron grip on our beloved State slipping away like sand through their fingers.
“Ordinarily, I would not dignify such obvious mudslinging with a response. However, the flood of calls and messages I have received from concerned citizens across Edo State and the country compels me to address this issue head-on and set the record straight.
“Let me be unequivocally clear: these allegations are entirely false; they are the fevered figments of imaginations belonging to persons who, in the face of their rapidly declining political fortunes, have become so desperate that they are now grasping at straws. The contradictions are so glaring and absurd that it would have been comical if the stakes for our state’s future were not so monumentally high. The APC has labelled me a mole who is being funded by Governor Godwin Obaseki of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Now, in a rather bizarre display of political acrobatics, the PDP also claims that I am in cahoots with the APC to “divide votes.” One must wonder and indeed laugh at this unfolding spectacle. How can I possibly be “working” for both sides simultaneously?
“The truth, my dear Edo people, is simple and straightforward: I am not one of them. I never have been, and I never will be. I am not a pawn in the political chess game of what we now refer to as PDAPC – two fingers of the same leprous hand that have mismanaged our great State for far too long, leaving our potential unfulfilled and our resources squandered. I stand alone, unbought, and unbowed, as the candidate of the people”, the statement added.
The Labour Party candidate explained that his campaign is not fuelled by the deep pockets of godfathers or the machinations of political puppeteers, but is powered by the hopes and aspirations of hard-working Edolites who have been serially betrayed by years of misrule and the empty promises of the PDAPC.
“The overwhelming support we have received from every corner of our State is not a testament to any backroom deals or secret alliances. Rather, it is a resounding clarion call, a clear indication of our people’s burning desire for genuine change, not the mere musical-chairs style of power rotation between and among the same band of inept and parasitic pretenders who we have endured for decades.
“These baseless accusations have laid bare the desperation of those who see their time in power coming to an inevitable end. They grossly underestimate the intelligence and discernment of Edo voters, who can see through these tired tactics of character assassination and political smear campaigns like a transparent veil. Our people are wiser now, having borne the brunt of failed promises and misgovernance for far too long. The wind of change is blowing, and no amount of political dustkicking can obscure the path to progress that lies before us.
“To those peddling these falsehoods, I say this with unwavering conviction: the people of Edo State are too smart, too experienced, and too determined to fall for your worn-out tricks. They see through your desperate attempts to cling to power at all costs, like a drowning man looking for any and every life-line. To the good people of Edo State, my allegiance is to you and you alone, so keep the faith. Your voices are being heard in every corner of this great State. Your dreams are valid and they are within reach. Your hopes for a better Edo State are not just possible – they are inevitable if we stand united.
“Come September 21st, with your support and your votes, we will prove beyond any shadow of a doubt that the true power in our democracy lies with the people, not with political desperados clinging to the vanishing vestiges of a dying order. The choice before us is crystal clear. The time for transformative change is now. Edo State must move forward, breaking free from the shackles of its past, and with the support of the people, the Labour Party will lead the way to a brighter, more prosperous future for all”, Akpata stated…..For More READ THE FULL STORY▶▶
