Politics

Labour Party Claims Election Victory Was Stolen: LP Candidate, Akpata Was Denied His Win in Edo

Published by Tope Fakinlede on September 24th, 2024.

Labour Party Claims Election Victory Was Stolen: LP Candidate, Akpata Was Denied His Win in Edo

Kelly Ogbalo, the chairman of the Labour Party (LP) in Edo, asserts that Olumide Akpata, the party’s candidate, would have emerged victorious in the recent gubernatorial election had it been conducted fairly.

In a Monday interview in Benin, Ogbalo alleged that the election was riddled with significant irregularities, particularly citing instances of blatant vote-buying that went unchecked by security agencies. “The Labour Party won the election but was not allowed to take power,” he stated.

He elaborated, “The election was marked by serious irregularities, including open vote-buying, which the security forces failed to address. With such manipulation and the buying of votes, what outcome could you expect?”

When asked whether the LP plans to contest the election results in court, Ogbalo mentioned that the party has not yet convened a state council meeting to determine its next steps.

On September 22, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced that Monday Okpebholo of the APC won the election, receiving 291,667 votes, while Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) garnered 247,274 votes. Akpata from the LP placed third with 22,763 votes.