The Deputy Governor of Abia State, Ikechukwu Emeta, who is also the returning officer for the election declared Akpata as the winner of the election on Friday after he scored the highest number of votes.
The Labour Party (LP) has declared a former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Olumide Akpata as its elected candidate for its forthcoming gubernatorial election in Edo State.
The Deputy Governor of Abia State, Ikechukwu Emeta, who is also the returning officer for the election declared Akpata as the winner of the election on Friday after he scored the highest number of votes.
Akpata scored 316 votes to emerge as the winner in the intra-party poll which was held in Benin City, the Edo State capital.
On Sunday, Akpata wrote to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to express his concern about the lack of transparency in the preparation for the primary election.
His victory comes months after he declared interest in the Edo State governorship race under the Labour Party.
His letter to INEC had read, "I write to you in my capacity as an aspirant for the Edo State gubernatorial ticket on the platform of the Labour Party ("LP" or "the Party"). The purpose of this letter is to bring to your attention the lack of preparedness and transparency surrounding the Labour Party's planned primaries to produce a gubernatorial candidate for the forthcoming gubernatorial elections in Edo State.
“As you are aware, the Electoral Act 2022 mandates political parties to conduct transparent primaries to produce candidates and also mandates the Independent National Electoral Commission ("INEC" or "the Commission") to stipulate timelines for conducting these primaries.
“As of today, Sunday, 18 February 2024, less than 48 hours to the LP Ward Congresses and about 96 hours to the LP Gubernatorial Primaries, I am constrained to inform you that the Labour Party has exhibited little or no preparedness for the said Ward Congresses scheduled for 20 February, 2024, to elect delegates who will vote in the primaries slated for February 23, 2024, which, by the way, is the last possible day for political parties to conduct primaries before the INEC mandated date of February 24, 2024, for all political parties to upload names of gubernatorial candidates who emerged from party primaries.”