Aburi’s Political Shenanigans May Cost LP Edo Governorship, Warns Stakeholders

Aburi’s Political Shenanigans May Cost LP Edo Governorship, Warns Stakeholders

By Rufus Edokpolo

Some stakeholders in Edo politics and supporters of the Labour Party (LP) have raised concerns over the way and manner the party chairman, Julius Aburi is going about the forthcoming election.

A group known as the Edo Vanguard for Good Governance, EVGG, has accused Aburi of conniving with the opposition parties to weaken LP’s position in the coming election.

The spokesperson of the group, Mr Rufus Edokpolo who spoke with journalists in Benin at the weekend called on the National Executive Council (NEC) of the party not to allow Aburi to truncate the goodwill of the Edo people for the party. 

He noted that as of now the party under the leadership of Aburi is yet to come out with the blueprint of the delegates selection process and governorship candidate respectively.

“As we speak Aburi has secretly selected his loyalists in every ward in the state as he sent them party registration cards that are backdated. These persons would subsequently be nominated as delegates to the party convention.

“We’re worried that Aburi may be working in connivance with the state’s party chairman, Mr. Kelly Ogbaloi to execute their evil plan to ensure that Labour Party futures a weak candidate at the election to pave the way for a Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP’s) candidature in the election.

“We’re aware of his relationship with the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki to thwart and weaken the LP’s efforts in the election.”

Aburi has a history of being fraudulent, he stated citing his dubious activities as the reason the party lost out in the recently concluded election in Bayelsa State.

“We have it on good authority that Aburi collected over N200 million from the incumbent governor of Bayelsa State Senator Donye Diri to sell the LP ticket to a weaker candidate.

“We will not allow that to happen in Edo State, that is why we are calling on the National Executives to do the needful as there is confidence that the party can win the election in the state. The challenge posed to us all is if Aburi is permitted to execute his plans of suppressing the will of the party faithful for his gains.”

“However, sources close to the matter revealed that rumors have it that he is also interested in participating in the contest, of course it’s his legitimate right to aspire to be anything but if that’s true, he will have to do the needful, that is resign his current position as chairman.

“He does not have to come into the contest through the back door if he is interested, he must stop playing pranks with the prospect of the party.”

Also speaking the Secretary of the group, Dr. Davidson Imague, called on the national Exco to release the modalities for the party’s primaries in the state for earnest preparation to begin.

In need of clear direction

“The party needs a clear direction as to the mode of the primaries in the state. Labour Party enjoys the support of Edo people that is the reason why we must put our house in order and allow the candidate with the highest followers to win the ticket to further strengthen our position.

“But if we go for personal interest or the highest bidder we’re likely to lose the election. Edo people are seeing the transformation taking place in Abia State which is why we must recruit a candidate with the requisite and proven track record.

“Aburi is one of us, his interest should be how we can also showcase a candidate of Alex Otti’s pedigree so he can be proud of his Leadership in the party and not get involved in the kind of things been speculated about him.

“He must come clean of these weighty allegations for the good of the party,” he said.

Meanwhile, sources from Aburi’s ward in Esan Southwest local government area of the state have raised the alarm that Aburi is trying to remove the incumbent ward chairman, Mr Akoko Sargus.

The source who is close to the chairman affirms that Aburi has sent party registration cards to another group loyal to him to use them for the delegates to the party convention.

He also alleged that some money had been paid to the loyalists to embark on a massive recruitment of new members into their fold to be used to manipulate the party primaries in the state.

“We are very much aware of his scheming in the wards, our local government and the state at large he said. We have also informed some members of the national Exco and forewarned them of the consequences if it’s allowed to strive,” he told a reporter.

Although, Aburi is not new to this kind of controversy as he was also accused of financial misappropriation by the Chief Lamidi Apapa faction of the party who are still in court over the soul of the party, how Aburi comes out of these fresh allegations may determine how far his reign in the party may go.

…Edokpolo, Political Analyst, writes from Benin