Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
The battle for the soul of the Edo State chapter of the Labour Party is getting messier by the day (LP) as two chairmen are laying claims to the chairmanship position of the party in the state.
The two chairmen are Comrade Kelly Ogbaloi and the former Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Elizabeth Ativie.
Recall that Elizabeth Ativie was recently inuagurated as the new Caretaker Committee Chairman of the party in Benin City by the Deputy National Chairman, Dr Ayo Olorunfemi.
While administering the oath of office on the members of the newly elected executive of the party, Dr Olorunfemi said the new leadership of the party in the state came on board due to the expiration of the tenure of the Ogbaloi led executive council which ended in April , 2024.
He said the new leadership of the party in the state is expected to take charge of the affairs of the party pending when a fresh congress will hold to elect a new executive in the state.
He said the party decided to appoint Rt Hon Mrs Elizabeth Ativie as the state chairman due to her positive and result oriented track records in all her political positions so far.
He called for unity in the party and assured that the party will be more united in the state with Hon Ativie.
According to the statement “in line with the letter signed by the National Chairman of the party, Barrister Julius Abure made available to newsmen, the new executive of the party in Edo State are expected to work in conjunction with the party’s governorship candidate, Barrister Olumide Akpata towards ensuring victory in the governorship election coming up on 21 September, 2024.
Responding, the chairman of the party in the state , Rt. Hon. Elizabeth Ativie promised to move the party to a higher level in the state.
She vowed to reconcile all aggrieved parties in the party adding that a reconciliation team to resolve all pending issues in the party will be put up.
However, the drama started when the Head of Department, Voter Education and Publicity, INEC, Mr. Timidi Wariowe, asked the leadership of the various political parties present to introduce themselves before the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu who was in Benin to ascertain the level of damage done by the last week Friday flood that submerged the commission facilities in the state.
Fortunately for Elizabeth Ativie, the microphone got to her first. She introduced herself as the chairman of the party.
She however passed the microphone to the next person close to her who happens to be Comrade Kelly Ogbaloi who also introduced himself as the chairman of the party.
This scenario however made the people to be a little bit confused as they tried to figure who is the authentic chairman of the party.
The chairman of INEC, Mahmood Yakubu upon observing the confusion brought in by the Labour Party officials, advised that the party should try to put their house in order.
However, both chairmen made valid contributions to the meeting which was called by the commission (that is the INEC).