Edo Decides: I’ll prioritize citizens’ welfare, says ex-NBA President, Olumide Akpata

 

Olumide Akpata, a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and a gubernatorial aspirant in the Labour Party (LP) in the forthcoming September 21, 2024 election in Edo State, has pledged to prioritize good governance and the well-being of the state’s residents if elected.

Akpata made this commitment during his formal declaration to run for the governorship at the LP’s Edo state secretariat in Benin, the state capital.

Hailing from Benin in the Edo South Senatorial District, Akpata will be competing within the LP for the governorship ticket against Kenneth Imansuangbon, a philanthropic industrialist popularly known as Riceman, who recently defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as well as other aspirants.

Akpata explained that he chose to vie for office under the LP’s banner because he believed it to be the only party in Nigeria genuinely oriented toward the welfare of the people. His primary focus, he emphasized, is on the well-being of Edo state residents.

He expressed his concern that the people of Edo have been marginalized in the realm of governance and politics, vowing that if granted the opportunity to represent the LP in the upcoming election, he would change this prevailing narrative.

Akpata articulated, “My interest is for the people of Edo State. What I find in politics and governance in Nigeria today is that the people have been taken out of the equation. Nobody cares about the people. When I look around, the only party I find to be people-oriented and genuinely interested in the well-being of our citizens is the LP. So, I have come to express my interest and to bring the people into the fold.”

The lawyer-turned-politician also assured that, upon becoming the standard-bearer for the opposition party, he would elevate the LP to greater heights in Edo State.

Kelly Ogbaloi, the Edo Chairman of the LP, welcomed Akpata and other governorship aspirants, along with members of the State Working Committee (SWC) of the party. Ogbaloi assured Akpata and other aspirants of a fair and equitable competition within the party.

Ogbaloi expressed optimism that the LP’s eventual gubernatorial candidate in Edo would succeed Governor Godwin Obaseki of the PDP on November 12 of the following year, thereby allowing Edo residents to experience the true benefits of democracy.