Edo decides 2024: Labour Party crisis deepens as Akpata faction suspends party chieftain

Five local government chairmen of the Labour Party have signed a letter suspending LP Chieftain and leading Obidient figure in Edo State, Chief Lucky Ibadin barely 24 hours after Chief Ibadin met with frontline PDP governorship candidate Barr. Asue Ighodalo.

In a letter seen circulating in WhatsApp groups, the five chairmen allege that they were suspending Chief Ibadin indefinitely for “anti-party activities”.

Comrades Aigberaedion (Esan West LGA), Onogbenin (Esan North East), Agboga (Esan South East), Eseigbe (Esan Central), and Ikoko (Igueben) claimed they were acting as custodians of the Party and the Party’s constitution; but an examination of the Labour Party constitution revealed that the Edo Central LGA chairmen were not a recognized caucus of the party. Their authority to unilaterally discipline any member of the Labour Party outside the establishment of a disciplinary committee is therefore doubtful.

Article 20 1.a of the Labour Party constitution states that:

“Discipline of Party Members shall be exercised through respective disciplinary committees of the party at the appropriate level and shall be governed by due process and fair hearing…”

Chief Ibadin had on Friday at his country home in Uromi met with and endorsed Barr. Asue Ighodalo. Ibadin stated he was doing this because he believed Barr. Asue was the most competent candidate running; and that as an Obidient he also believed that the next governor of Edo state should come from Edo Central in the interests of justice, fairness and equity.

Olumide Akpata, the Labour Party candidate is from the same local government in Edo South as the current Governor of Edo State, Governor Godwin Obaseki.