Politicians Afraid of  my  Candidacy, Edo Female Speaker Alleges

Adibe Emenyonu in Benin-city

The first female Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Mrs. Elizabeth Ativie, has declared that many politicians in the state are jittery of her emergence as the candidate of the Labour Party (LP) for Orhionmwon/Uhunmwonde federal constituency, in view of her capacity to emerge victorious.

Ativie, also a former Deputy Speaker of Edo Assembly, who recently resigned her membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and joined the Labour Party (LP), stated this in Benin-city, the state capital, during an interactive session with journalists at the weekend.

She said: “There are processes to be nominated and elected. I passed through all the processes in LP. I do not want to join issues with anybody or some hired persons and non-members of LP, who are protesting my candidacy. I was reliably informed that most of the protesters are members of other political parties, who
are frightened by my
candidacy.

“The LP is geared towards moving Nigeria forward. If you are not with us, do not come and destroy us. The leadership of LP will soon come out with a statement for the few sponsored protesters to keep quiet, and calm all the nerves. I was never imposed on LP, and I never gave ‘Shishi’ (money) to anybody to pick the ticket of LP.

“I left APC, because it became cash and carry, as no woman emerged as House of Assembly, House of Representatives or senatorial candidate in Edo State. I must commend the leadership of LP, both at the state and national levels, because they are living within the tenets of their conviction, belief and objectives.”

According to her, “No leader of LP has asked me for one naira. I am very impressed. They should keep it up, but we should not allow distraction and infiltration from other political parties to cause disharmony among us. The presidential candidate of LP, Mr. Peter Obi, is the darling of Nigeria. With the latest opinion poll, Obi is ahead of the other presidential candidates, and he is getting over 25 per cent in almost all the states of Nigeria and FCT.”

Ativie, who stated that she had come to add value to the LP, further expressed optimism that her new political party (LP) would win Edo State.

“I am not perplexed by some persons singing the song of illegality. I have documents to prove that I was legally elected as the candidate of LP for Orhionmwon/Uhunmwonde federal constituency. My concern is to ensure that LP wins elections in Edo State, and to deliver the state for Peter Obi.

“I like people who criticise me, because when you are criticised, you are whipped into the line. I also criticise people, because I come from the civil society, but we should not allow some disgruntled elements to destabilise LP in Edo State,” she said.