1 hour ago
1
The 2024, Labour Party, LP, Governorship candidate in Edo State, Barrister Olumide Akpata, on Tuesday, formally defected to the African Democratic Congress, ADC.
Akpata was received into the party at an event in Bening City by Mr Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of Labour Party, Chief John Odigie Oyegun, the former executive governor of Edo, Professor Oserhiemen Osunbor, the former governor of Edo, Roland Owie, the former chief whip of the Nigerian Senate, Kenneth Odion and the Edo State chairman of the party among others.
Speaking shortly after being presented with the party’s registration card, Olumide Akpata opined that a new Nigeria is possible if the people voted wisely, for the right candidate and political party.
Akpata added that his defection alongside his running mate in the 2024 governorship election, Yusuf Asama Kadiri, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, members of the Obidience Movement in the state was to add value to the party.
According to him, the Labour Party is fully represented here today. We don’t have time but our zones are represented here today to show that we have come to add value to the Africa Democratic Congress.
“I just want to say we are grateful. Those of us who have come from Labour Party, we are grateful for the warm reception. We thank our leaders.
“We thank Mr Peter Obi, our leader, who brought us here. We thank Chief Oyegun, our father, who on behalf of the ADC caucus have received us here today. We are grateful to you all”, he said.
In his remarks, Chief John Odigie Oyegun, a national leader of the party posited that the stock of the party is growing daily not only in numbers but also in quality.
“Our stock is growing every day, not just in numbers, but fortunately in quality. You can’t have it better than having a man like Olu Akpata and this man who has lit fire in this country, Mr Peter Obi.
“Having Barrister Olumide Akpata in our party shows the strength of the ADC. When I spoke to our new member, the newest member, Olumide, a few months ago, he wasn’t totally finished with politics. He was indifferent to politics.
“He wasn’t ready to listen to any future I was going to paint. But over the months, even he has said that this is a nation that needs to be saved. And so, on his own, without my going back, of course influenced by a lot of other factors, today we have registered one of the most illustrious sons of this country and a proud citizen of Edo State,” he added.
Earlier, Kennedy Odion, the Edo State chairman of ADC described Olumide Akpata as one Nigerians that understood how the country should be piloted, what citizens need and move the country from the current economic situation to where it ought to be.
On his part, Mr Peter Obi assured that ADC is totally committed to a new Nigeria despite the political move by those in power to do everything possible to stop the party us.
“Let me assure all of us here, we are committed to a new Nigeria. They might do everything possible to stop us, but I assure you our commitment is total.
“We must build a country that works for everybody. It is not working for everybody today. We must build a country where nobody can be somebody without knowing anybody. It must happen here, and that is what is important.
“I was just telling somebody as I was coming to Edo this morning and somebody said to me Nigeria is number three in World Bank debt, and other people are number one. So, what do you have to say about it, Peter?
“So I decided to reply to the person by tweet. Yes, Nigeria owes $18.7 billion, and another country called Bangladesh is owing $23 billion to the same institution. But I said to the person, I will reply you by comparison.
“In 2015, 10 years ago, Bangladesh’s GDP was $195 billion with a per capita of $1,235. today, the same country’s GDP is $490 billion with a per capita of $2,700.
“So, both their GDP and their per capita have doubled. Nigeria, in 2015, had a GDP of almost $493,000 with a per capita of $2,700. today, Nigeria’s GDP is under $200. Its per capita is under $1,000.
“The rest is your guess. You can go and see how many people they pulled out of poverty. So, one person borrowed, invested it in the productive sector, and grew.
“Another person borrowed, invested in consumption, and collapsed. That’s why I say we must move the country from consumption to production to make a new Nigeria that is possible.
“Let us go out and fight for that new Nigeria. It will not be easy. They are not going to allow us easily. They will do everything to deter us, but we must do the future for ourselves, a future for our children, the young ones”, he stated.
Edo 2023 LP governorship candidate, Olumide Akpata defect to ADC
