 governorship candidate in Edo State, Olumide Akpata, has broken his silence on speculations that){kind=link}
Former Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate in Edo State, Olumide Akpata, has broken his silence on speculations that he has dumped his party for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Akpata, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and former president of the Nigerian Bar Association, described the reports as “deliberate lies” being spread by political opponents seeking to discredit his image and confuse his supporters.
“I want to make it absolutely clear that I have not defected to the APC, nor have I ever entertained such thoughts,” Akpata said in a statement on Tuesday.
“These rumours are not only false but also laughable, and I urge the public to disregard them completely.”
The legal luminary turned politician shot into the political spotlight in 2023 when he joined the Labour Party, becoming one of the most prominent figures pushing the party’s growth after Peter Obi’s strong performance in the general elections.
His candidacy in the September 2024 Edo governorship race was seen as a fresh force that rallied young voters and expanded the LP’s reach in the state.
Although Akpata eventually lost to the APC’s candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo, analysts widely acknowledged that his campaign reshaped Edo’s political conversation by giving the Labour Party more grassroots visibility.
Reacting further to the defection claims, Akpata insisted that his loyalty to the LP remains intact, stressing that he intends to continue building the platform that gave him a voice in partisan politics.
“I contested under the Labour Party because I believe in its ideals and the movement it represents. That conviction has not changed and will not change,” he added.
His clarification comes amid heightened political speculation in Edo, where the PDP is consolidating its grip following the 2024 polls, while talk of new alliances and defections continues to grow ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Political observers say the rumours around Akpata’s alleged move to the APC reflect the tense atmosphere as major parties position themselves for the battles ahead.