Olumide Akpata, candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the September 21, 2024 governorship election in Edo State, says he cannot be remote-controlled by any political benefactor or godfather if he wins the forthcoming election.
The former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) said he was only accountable to the people of the state.
“I have no restrictions. I am not accountable to any godfather. I am not accountable to any political benefactor.
“This is one of the reasons they (Edo people) can trust the Labour Party government because we are accountable to the people,” he said on a Channels Television programme. Politics today event on Thursday.
Top contenders in the forthcoming governorship election in the state include Akpata, Asu Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Akpata said unlike other candidates linked to former and present governors, he is not answerable to any political godfather.
Also Read: Ighodalo said I will do as I please if elected Edo governor
The LP candidate also said his campaign was not funded by Governor Godwin Obaseki, whose appointed candidate is Ighodalo of the PDP.
“Initially, I was described as an agent of Governor Obaseki, we managed to prove it wrong. Today, I am described as sponsored by the APC. I think that is the most stupid conspiracy theory.
“I am self-funding and I have some friends who believe in me and believe we can do better in Edo,” he said.
'Obaseki's performance disappointing'
Akpata said Obaseki’s performance in the last eight years has been disappointing.
“There is a gulf between me and Governor Obaseki; it is like night and day. I cannot and will not associate with his government. His performance has been disappointing.
“I've been attacked, my billboards have been torn down. Everyone knows I'm not their choice; I'm not their Plan Z,” he said.
He said, “I am saying Governor Obaseki has been a failure; a total disaster. In failure there is always a glimmer of positivity here and there but we are talking about the totality.”
Akpata said the people of Edo needed fresh air. “They (voters) should look at us because we need fresh air, you need something different,” he said.
“For 25 years, the PDP and APC have been ruling Edo State. For the last eight years, the same man has been attached to both parties.
“It is an abject failure and so we must try something else and the Labour Party offers a different approach to this subject: a people-centred, people-centred, people-influenced approach.
“Every government should ask itself: what will have the greatest impact on the most people with the resources that I have available to me? That's the Labor Party's approach,” the LP candidate said.
Akpata said if elected he would start with power, agriculture, education and healthcare. He said he would call for private-public partnership to set up power plants across the state.
The former NBA president expressed optimism that he would defeat Ighodalo and Okpebholo in the vote even though they have the support of Obaseki and former Governor Adams Oshiomhole respectively.
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