Olumide Akpata Shouldn’t Accuse INEC Of Rigging After He Bought Delegates – Arabambi

The Julius Abure-led Labour Party (LP) has said the party’s candidate in the just concluded governorship election in Edo State, Barr. Olumide Akpata has no right to complain about the alleged rigging of the poll by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and All Progressives Congress (APC).

Akpata, the Labour Party’s governorship candidate in the Edo 2024 election, expressed disappointment with the conduct of the election and alleged manipulation.

In a post-election statement, Akpata highlighted that while powerful forces were expected to influence the election, the real shock came from within the electorate.

“We anticipated that powerful forces would attempt to skew the outcome in their favour, regardless of the will of the people,” Akpata said in his statement on Monday.

However, the party’s Publicity Secretary, Abayomi Arabambi, in a statement signed and made available to newsmen in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, accused Akpata of also rigging his way to emerge as the party’s candidate.

He said, “Olumide Akpata has no reason to complain about the election and buying of votes.

“Akpata bought all the Labour Party delegates during the primary to get the Labour Party ticket. He bought over the party structure, gave them vehicles. He even called police to harass those who pointed out the abnormality. He bought the National Working Committee over and took the ticket.”

He said, “Whatever INEC does was correct. The problem with Nigerians and their leaders is that if anything doesn’t favour us, that thing is wrong, but if it favour us even when it’s wrong, we described it as the right thing.”

He accused a former presidential candidate of the party, Mr. Peter Obi and Abia State Governor, Alex Otti of praising INEC recently when it acknowledged Abure’s tenure as LP National Chairman had expired.

He said, “When they knew that we had a national convention in Nnewi, where INEC was invited, Alex Otti sponsored the convention, his Deputy represented him at the convention, all his commissioners were present, and yet because they wanted to forcefully and illegally take over the party, they said INEC was correct to say Abure’s tenure has expired when they themselves know that INEC was not truthful, but acting illegally.

“Today because they failed in Edo, INEC has done the wrong thing.”

“Another reason that led to the defeat of LP was that Olumide Akpata is from the same local government (Oredo) and the same Senatorial District, with Governor Godwin Obaseki, who will soon complete his eight years term,” he added.