Akpata Denies Involvement in Last Sunday’s Attack on Abure

Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City

A governorship aspirant on the platform of Labour Party (LP) in Edo State, Mr. Olumide Akpata, has denied any involvement in last Sunday’s protest at the party secretariat in Benin City.

Last Sunday, hundreds of youths of the party protested against the National Chairman, Mr. Julius Abure, over alleged support for some aspirants ahead the party governorship primary to be held later this month.

The angry youths, who besieged the state party secretariat with placards bearing different inscriptions, while chanting, “Abure must go, Abure must go,” were prevented from entering the building by security operatives, who confiscated video cameras belonging to two national television stations while recording the protest.

It took the intervention of the Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, Edo State Council, Festus Alenkhe before the cameras were retrieved from the security operatives.

The protesting youths alleged that the party’s national chairman, had compromised his position and therefore, should not be allowed to superintend over the party primary election.

After the protest, rumours began to filter in that the protest was masterminded by Olumide Akpata.

However, addressing journalists in Benin City, yesterday, the LP hopeful, said he had nothing to do with the protest, wondering how people could rope him in with the protest when in actual fact he had nothing to do with the youths protest.

“It has come to my attention that there was a protest, Sunday, 4th February 2024, at the Labour Party State Secretariat in Benin City, Edo State, which allegedly turned violent. I want to clearly and unequivocally state that I have absolutely no knowledge of this protest, nor have I sanctioned or approved it in any way.

“The baseless rumours and insinuations that have been mischievously circulated that these protesters are carrying out my bidding are totally false, unfounded, and quite frankly ridiculous.”