Edo LP Faults Igbinedion’s Claim As Party Publicity Secretary

…Says Comrade Ogbaloi-led exco remains substantive

By Simeon OSAJIE

The Edo State chapter of Labour Party (LP) has faulted some newspapers and online publications credited to one Mr. Ainen Igbinedion claiming to be the State Publicity Secretary of the party and also sent a congratulating message to Barr. Julius Abure over court victory as the national chairman of the party.

The9jaTREND reports that in a statement signed by Comrade Comrade Sam Uroupa, Publicity Secretary of Ogbaloi-led Edo State Labour Party stated that the report was credited to one Mr. Ainen Igbinedion, who styled himself as a “factional Publicity Secretary” of the Edo State LP, creating the impression in the minds of innocent readers that the Edo State LP has factions.

According to him, “Ordinarily, we would have ignored the self-acclaimed factional Publicity Secretary and allowed him to bask in the euphoria of his ignorance. However, for the sake of the reading public, we deemed it necessary to set the records straight.

“The factional claim made by Mr. Aimen Igbinedion is a figment of his imagination and an exhibition of his crash ignorance. If he was in Federal High Court 2 that Monday, as he feebly tried to cite the proceedings of the day upside down. He should have remembered that it was unambiguously and incontrovertibly stated that ‘even if Comrade Kelly Ogbaloi’s tenure has expired as claimed by Rt. Hon. Mrs. Elizabeth Ativie before the Court, the LP constitution does not recognize a caretaker committee; therefore, the claim of any factional caretaker committee is an exercise in futility.’ This implies that Comrade Kelly Ogbaloi is still the substantive Chairman of LP in Edo State.”

He noted: “First and foremost, there is no faction in the Edo State LP. The factional claim made by Mr. Aimen Igbinedion is a figment of his imagination and an exhibition of his crash ignorance. If he was in Federal High Court 2 that Monday, as he feebly tried to cite the proceedings of the day upside down. He should have remembered that it was unambiguously and incontrovertibly stated that “even if Comrade Kelly Ogbaloi’s tenure has expired as claimed by Rt. Hon. Mrs. Elizabeth Ativie before the Court, the LP constitution does not recognize a caretaker committee; therefore, the claim of any factional caretaker committee is an exercise in futility.” This implies that Comrade Kelly Ogbaloi is still the substantive Chairman of LP in Edo State.

“Having out rightly thrown out the interlocutory injunction of the plaintiff (Mrs. Elizabeth Ativie) to restrain the defendant (Kelly Ogbaloi) for lacking merit, His Lordship, Justice Chuka Obiozor, in his wisdom, advised that the plaintiff find her way to join hands with the defendant and work together since she does not have another candidate for the September 21st governorship elections, while adjourning the final ruling on the matter till September 23, 2024.

“In the same vein, the ruling on the case of the membership status of the National Chairman, Barr. Julius Abure, was equally adjourned to the same date by Justice Obiozor after much heated debate by both counsels.

“Therefore, the claim made by the self-appointed factional Publicity Secretary that Justice Chuka Obiozor of the Federal High Court 2 sitting in Benin City has affirmed Julius Abure in his judgment, which was never decided, is false and a contempt of court.”

Comrade Uroupa therefore urged all LP members, the Obedient family, and the general public to disregard the false information spread by members of the opposition parties masquerading as LP members.

“The Edo state LP is one under the leadership of Comrade Kelly Ogbaloi until a legitimate congress is conducted. We urge Edo people to come out en masse to vote LP and Barr. Olumide Akpata and Alhjaji Yusuf Asamah Kadiri SAN as governor and deputy governor, respectively,” he added.