TheCable

Julius Abure, national chairman of the Labour Party (LP), has congratulated Olumide Akpata for winning the party’s governorship primary election in Edo state.

On Friday, Akpata, a former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), was declared the winner of the LP governorship primary in Edo.

Akpata scored 316 votes to beat other aspirants in the poll.

In a statement on Saturday, Abure called on other aspirants to join hands with Akpata and the party to ensure the success of LP in the governorship election.

Abure said the party has selected one of its best as the flagbearer for the governorship election, adding that Akpata stands out among other candidates.

“We believe that Edo state at this point in time needs the best of the best to man the Osadebey Avenue and today, the Labour Party has selected one of its bests as the candidate of the party,” the statement reads.

“If you juxtapose him with all other candidates that have emerged from the other political parties, it is clear that he stands out. We therefore congratulate him and we all will work towards the success of his candidacy in the governorship election.

“Primary election usually comes with a lot of tension, bickering, politicking and horse-trading, however, now that the primary is over and a candidate has emerged, I want to call on all Labour Party fateful, particularly, those who have lost at the primaries to team up with the candidate so that we can all work in unity and togetherness for the victory of the party.

“Whatever errors we have made or pains any party member may have suffered in the process of this party primaries, we want to call on all and sundry to put it behind them and let us all come together as a united family to work for the success of the party ahead of the election.

“We equally call on the candidate to be magnanimous in victory by reaching out to all aggrieved members of the party. He must realise that he needs the support of all party members to win the general election.”

The Edo governorship election is scheduled to take place on September 21.

On Wednesday, Abure was arrested by the police over a petition accusing him of attempted murder and conspiracy to commit dangerous harm. But he was released after some hours.