Kelly Ogbalo, chairman of the Labour Party (LP) in Edo, is speaking out about the recent governorship election, claiming that Olumide Akpata, the party’s candidate, would have emerged victorious if the election had been conducted fairly and freely.
In an interview in Benin, Ogbalo alleged that the election was plagued by serious irregularities, including blatant vote-buying that security agencies failed to address.
“Labour Party won the election but was not allowed to take possession,” Ogbalo stated, emphasizing that the election’s outcome was compromised by widespread irregularities and manipulation of results.
He questioned the expected outcome when votes are bought and results are altered.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Monday Okpebholo of the APC the winner with 291,667 votes, followed by Asue Ighodalo of the PDP with 247,274 votes, and Olumide Akpata of LP came third with 22,763 votes.
Ogbalo noted that the Labour Party has yet to decide whether to challenge the results in court, as they await a state council meeting to determine their next course of action.
It’s worth noting that Olumide Akpata had previously won the Labour Party’s governorship primary election in Edo State, garnering 316 votes. His candidacy was seen as a significant development in the state’s political landscape.
