Two persons suspected to be members of the Lamidi Apapa’s faction of the Labour Party were on Friday apprehended by supporters of the party in the Edo State, following their alleged plans to conduct a primary election for LP candidates ahead of the 2024 governorship election in Edo State.
In a video that went into circulation on Friday in Benin, some of the party supporters were seen beating the two suspects for coming to Edo State for the alleged clandestine motive.
Confirming the report, the state Publicity Secretary of the LP, Samson Uroupa, described the suspects as imposters who were hell-bent on creating trouble in the party
He called on security agencies in the state to arrest anybody laying claim to a faction in the LP, noting that the issue of faction had been dealt with by the Supreme Court.
He said, “That is what we learnt. As a party, we are surprised that people can still be causing trouble like that. But there is no faction in the Labour Party led by Abure as the National Chairman.
“We think that if there is anybody still laying claim to a faction in the party, the security agencies should arrest such persons because the Supreme Court has laid that matter to rest.
“Anybody going in any guise to purportedly conduct primary election or whatever should be arrested by the security agencies. That is our stand because the Labour Party is one.
“The people are impostors and are not members of the Labour Party. They are just out there to foment trouble. Maybe it is the opposition parties that are sponsoring them,” he stated.
The state Chairman of the party, Kelly Ogbaloi, urged members of the public to disregard any purported notice claiming to have the “time-table and schedule of activities for the Labour Party Re-Run, Bye-Elections with Edo and Ondo Governorship Primaries 2024”.
He said that such notice never emanated from the national secretariat of the Labour Party, as it has not released guidelines for the nomination of the party’s candidate for the Edo State 2024 governorship election.
