By Abiola Olawale
The 2024 governorship candidate of the Labour Party in Edo State and former national President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr Olumide Akpata, has expressed optimism of winning the 2024 gubernatorial election in Edo State.
Akpata, a former President of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) and frontline Lawyer in Nigeria asserted that he is confident he will defeat the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr Asue Ighodalo and the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Monday Okpebholo, among other candidates.
According to him, the performance of Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo would make his victory easier.
Akpata, who spoke with the press, said that a lot of Edo State people and residents are tired of both the present administration in Edo state and the APC government at the national level, stressing that he is the best man for the job.
He said: “I am funding myself, and I have friends. You know what they say, your network is your net worth. I have friends who believe in me. I have friends who believe in this cause.
“I have people from Edo State, who believe we can do so much better. We are able to get the kind of funding we require.
“I have practised law successfully for over 30 years. Give me some credit, we have taken into consideration all that is required for this race.
“I assure you that we are going to win. So, those who are hoping we run out of steam have something else coming in for them.
“I am not from the other zone. I am from Edo State. The people are saying they are ready to take a chance with the Labour Party, irrespective of where the candidate comes from. Because they know we have a track record of performance.
“Based on that, they are ready because the other party performed abysmally. A state that earns N16 billion every month is the state that owes close to N600 billion, and the people are in abject poverty. They are less concerned with where the candidate comes from because they have seen nothing.”
