Akpata
By Kingsley Abavo in Benin
“This election is a referendum”; the Edo State Labour Party (LP) Governorship candidate, Olumide Osaigbovo Akpata has declared as all the participating political parties and their candidates scale up their strategies, towards winning the contest in September.
Akpata a lawyer and former national President of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) who asserts he has put in no less than 30 years in practice; stated this weekend while reacting to the pulling down of his bill boards around the City of Benin.
In a video going viral on the social media space, he expressed his bitterness about the pulling down of his bill boards which he claimed no less than the sum of six million Naira was paid for.
Akpata directly accused the State Government for the act he said runs foul of the electoral laws of the nation.
Wondering why the pulling down of his bill boards, the LP candidate pointed out that the “September Governorship election is a contest and not an award” hence a healthy competition amongst the contestants should be encouraged.
Akpata spits fire:
“I just want the public to know that this is what is happening under Governor Godwin Obaseki’s Government and we will not allow it to stand!
I sent a message to the Oredo Local Government Council Chairman Mr. Obaseki who happens to be a brother, cousin or relative to the Governor that my boards are being taken down.
“There is an individual in the Oredo Local Government Council called Charles Egharevba, he is supposed to be of the revenue department; he was the one who sent text messages to my bill board installers telling them to take down the bill boards.
“I was told he has the temerity to suggest that the board at Akenzua is the route the Governor takes regularly so we must take my board down.
It is ridiculous! This is the kind of stunt this Government pulls all the time.
“We are going into a contest, the playing field should be level.
I am going down Uselu – Lagos road now, same problem, they are taking down my boards; these cost money, energy and time. What are they afraid of?
I am not a complainer, I am here to sound a note of warning to those who are behind this; to Governor Obaseki and his millions!
These local Government Chairmen who are a product of sham election; nothing happened on the 2nd of September, we know that they are illegal occupiers of those seats and they are coming to pull down my bill boards.!
“Nobody has the monopoly of brigandage, I am not a push over, we paid for these bill boards over six million Naira.”
Saying his bill boards are being pulled down because they know they are not the people’s choice; the LP Governorship hopeful declared; “but pulling down bill boards will not deface me or my supporters, this election is a referendum!
“I have asked my contractors to put back the bill boards within the next 48 hours and I dare them!”
Reacting in a statement by the State Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Enehikhare, the State Government said it was not joining issues with the Labour Party candidate on the bill board accusations.
Meanwhile, the People Democratic Party (PDP) deputy director of the Asue Ighodalo and Osarodion Ogie Campaign Organisation, Revd. Olu Martins in another viral video on the social media space; said it all about who was responsible for the bill board removal.
“… I saw a banner; Olu Akpata banner at Ring road and I asked how e take reach there? Can you put a banner like that at Alausa, Ikeja in Lagos?
“When I tell Olukoga say see wetin we wan do, … I said from the days of John the baptist till now, the Kingdom suffereth violence and violence taketh it by force!
“Who nor know, go know, who too know go kpeme, their father!”
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