During an interview with ARISE NEWS on Tuesday, the governorship candidate of the Labour Party in Edo state, Olumide Akpata launched a stinging criticism of the current People’s Democratic Party (PDP) government in Edo State, labelling it as “wicked and irresponsible.”
He made these remarks while speaking about the lessons he has learned in the course of dabbling into politics from commercial law. The Labour Party gubernatorial candidate was previously president of the Nigerian Bar Association.
Akpata said, “What I have learnt is that our government is wicked, irresponsible and I’m referring particularly to the current PDP government in Edo state and it’s quite disappointing because the individuals who run Edo state came from the private sector like I did.
“The lessons that have been reinforced is that everything rises and falls on leadership. It is the absence of leadership that has put us where we are. We have been victims of irresponsible leadership.”
Akpata also took issue with claims by PDP governorship candidate in Edo State, Asue Ighodalo, that there are improvements in the education sector, dismissing them as misleading. He said, “Asue mentioned yesterday, the schools are great, the teachers have tabs. That’s a joke. You can’t pick one or two schools in Benin city and tell me that is reflective of the reality in Edo state.”
Further speaking, he positioned the Labour Party as a beacon of hope for Edo state, asserting that his party is prepared to provide the leadership that the state desperately needs.
He said, “The classic definition of democracy has ‘people’ mentioned three times, for good reason, but you have governments over time that have totally taken the people out of the equation. That is my problem, that leadership is the issue. For me, we need to take charge. A leader must take charge. A leader must understand that you are there to serve the people. I have gone round Edo state five times now and it is the same story across the state. Our leaders have abdicated.
“It’s about leadership and Labour Party is here to provide leadership and the people know this.”
Melissa Enoch
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