The Labour Party in Edo and Olumide Akpata Campaign Organisation (OACO) have cleared air over controversy trailing the donation of twenty Sienna buses by Barr. Olumide Akpata, the governorship aspirant of the party.
It be recalled that the LP aspirant recently donated some vehicles to the party and the development generated controversy amongst the people.
According to a statement that has gone viral in some sections of the media, the donation of the vehicles is being described as “Greek gift”.
Akpata was accused of registering the vehicles in his name and that one of his promoters had threatened to retrieve the vehicles if he (Akpata) did not get the governorship ticket of the party.
The statement alleged that Akpata registered the vehicles in the name of a company called Zopaz Advisory Service where he allegedly has some interests it and an address in Lagos instead of the name of the Labour Party, Edo State.
The statement also alleged that he presented photocopies of the proof of ownership and held on to the original copies and urged Akpata to follow the example of the party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 presidential election, Peter Obi who did not use his popularity to hijack the party but used it to push the party to a new status.
Responding to the allegations, the state chairman of LP, Kelly Ogbaloi when contacted said; “Those vehicles were donated to the party by Akpata and that is clear enough and at that point of donation, they become the property of the party notwithstanding those registration exercises that they are talking about.
“Yes he may have purchased vehicles on his name initially but now he has officially and legally transferred the ownership of those vehicles to LP as at today”.
Also reacting to the allegations, the Director General of OACO, Toju David described the allegation as “poorly-conceived and incoherent commentary issued by a faceless hack”, describing the allegations as false and disconnected from reality.
“These rabble-rousers need not dig too deep, to establish that Olumide Akpata has in fact transferred title to all twenty-one vehicles purchased and donated to the Labour Party in Edo.
“All twenty-one vehicles now legally belong to the Labour Party, Edo State and not Olumide Akpata. Therefore, the ludicrous suggestion that Olumide Akpata will take back any of the donated vehicles if he fails to win the Party’s nomination as its gubernatorial candidate amounts to nothing other than cheap and idle blackmail.
“We reiterate that Olumide Akpata’s contributions towards building the party are by no means easy, yet they are necessary to bolster the party and position us for near and long-term success.
“He made huge contributions to the campaigns of majority of our candidates at the September 2023 local government elections; donated a brand-new Toyota Hiace Bus to the State Secretariat for Party operations.
“And made a significant pledge towards the purchase of a new and befitting State Secretariat, as well as; visited all eighteen local government Secretariats, where he made further substantial contributions to all the said Secretariats and all 192 Party Wards,” he said.
He urged other aspirants to join hands with Akpata to build the party rather than trying to pull him down.
. TheWitness
