TheCable

The Labour Party (LP) has denied reaching an agreement with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to compromise the November 11 governorship election in Bayelsa state.

Udengs Eradiri, Bayelsa LP candidate, had during an interview on Arise Television on Thursday alleged that the party’s leadership in the state are backing Duoye Diri, the incumbent governor of the state who is seeking a second term on the platform of PDP.

But in a statement, Obiora Ifoh, national publicity secretary of the LP,  said the party “is in the election to win”.

“The leadership of the Labour Party has described as false and unsubstantiated the news making the rounds that its Bayelsa State chapter has ditched its governorship candidate in the November 11, election, Engr. Udengs Eradiri and has declared its support for the state governor, Douye Diri,” the statement reads.

“The party’s attention was also drawn to a statement issued by some unauthorized party leaders without the consent of the State Chairman and Secretary who supposedly withheld their individual support for our candidate.

“The party leadership also read a statement by the chairman of the Forum of Labour Party Local Government Chairmen as well as the interview granted by our candidate with a national Television today on the matter.

“We sincerely do believe that all these issues are clearly a manifestation of political intrigues and clearly an attempt by the opposition elements to frustrate our chances at achieving victory at the polls.

“Our preliminary investigation on the allegation of financial compromise by the state chapter clearly shows that the alarm was false and has remain one of the age long tools often deployed by political opponents to achieve dubious edge over candidates who are the favourites of the people.

“We need to however state categorically that no party official from the national headquarters has entered into any deal with the Bayelsa State governor to compromise the election.

“We are in this race to win, and we are sure that no amount of dirty politicking can stop the Labour Party and its candidate, a former President of the Ijaw Youth Council, IYC from winning the election.

“Comrade Eradiri is young, popular, experienced and with track record of performance at the highest level. His zeal to change the socio-economic status of Bayelsa is unimaginable and unprecedented.”

The LP urged Eradiri to remained focused on winning the election and not be distracted by “unfounded rumours being orchestrated by political opponents”.

“He must ensure that the entire party structure is put into maximal use to achieve the needed success,” the LP added.

“Finally, we urge Bayelsa people to disregard the rumour and support the party as they have always done in time past, particularly, in the recently concluded presidential election where the state voted for Labour Party massively.

“They must file out and vote for the Labour Party and vote out these personalities who have held the state down since inception of this democracy.”