Olumide Akpata’s Baptism of Fire

When Mr. Olumide Akpata made his intention to contest in the governorship election of Edo State known, many were taken aback. The fears in some quarters were that the former president of the Nigerian Bar Association was too soft and perhaps too polished for the murky waters of Nigerian politics.

But rather than entomb his living dream, he pursued them with all imaginable vigour. As fate would have it, he was able to worm himself into the hearts of his people in the state. He proved to all that it was a well-thought-out plan; he campaigned far and wide, courting those who matter in his state.

He was overjoyous when he emerged as the governorship candidate of his party, the Labour Party (LP). He consulted far and wide, campaigned vigorously and spent money as if it was going out of fashion. But as the saying goes, “politics is not for the fainted heart.” His heart was broken after he came out a distant third in the September election.

No doubt, he suffered what many have described as a baptism of fire at the polls after he was forced to bow for the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Monday Okpebholo.

Society Watch gathered that since he suffered the defeat, he has remained calm and yet to get over the shock, particularly because of the huge amount of money he expended on the ambition that was given a kiss of death.