By Ozioruva Aliu

BENIN CITY – THERE is a crack in Edo State Labour Party (LP) over the emergence of Alufohai Oluyinka Faith as deputy governorship candidate of the party as against Alhaji Asamah Yusuf Kadiri, (SAN) has its preferred candidate.

While the party faulted the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for still presenting Alufohai and tagging it “a technical error”, a youth group within the party, ‘Shine Your Eyes Group’, (SYEG) on Tuesday commended the INEC for adhering to the rule of law in deepening democracy in Edo State Labour Party’s candidates list.

The state chairman of the party, Comrade Kelly Ogbaloi, said, “Our team followed all necessary procedures and submitted Alhaji Kadiri’s name and credentials as the deputy governorship candidate, well within INEC’s stipulated window.

“Unfortunately, a technical glitch occurred at the end of the National Headquarters of our party during the submission process, resulting in the incorrect name appearing on the final list.

“We are currently actively engaged with INEC officials to rectify this issue immediately and our team has provided all requisite documentation demonstrating Alhaji Kadiri’s valid nomination. We have been following-up with INEC diligently, to ensure it updates its candidate list with the accurate information.”

A statement by SYEG signed by its chairman, Comrade Jonah Ifada and Secretary Osagie Omoregie reminded the party that what the electoral body has done is in accordance with the law and deserves commendation.

The statement also noted that what has become the crack in the party in the state was a reflection of the “shambled primary it conducted in the State where the wishes of the party’s faithful was subverted by those entrusted to run the affairs of the party.

“We want to state equivocally and remind Ogbaloi that INEC is not like the Labour party and that what INEC has done was in line with the rule of law and deserves commendation for being vigilance and thorough.

“We had warned the Labour Party to play by the rules of the game but they choose to bow to the weight of naira and dollars to subvert democracy and the wishes of our people.

“As stakeholders, we are however confident that the abnormality by the party would be corrected by the court as we have it on good authority that one of the aspirants, Barrister Kenneth Imansuangbon has gone to court to seek interpretation of the constitution as regards issues in the party’s primary.”

Recall that Imansuangbon in his petition alleged that Akpata committed alot of offences ranging from giving false information to the acquisition of citizenship of another country, which he said was a departure from the Nigerian Constitution’s accepted norms.

On the allegation of false information, Barrister Imansuangbon alleged that Barrister Akpata while filling INEC form EC 9 “stated his name to be Akpata Olumide Anthony which is different from and not the same as Akpata Olumide Osaigbovo” which he earlier stated on oath to be his name and under which he contested and reportedly won the primary election of the LP among other queries.