Labour Party Leaders Denies Former Edo Speaker Membership

From Habiba Ibrahim-Sam

BENIN CITY

Leaders of Orhionmwon/Uhunmwonde Labour Party (LP) and the state youth leader of the party has appealed to the Edo State chairman and state leaders of the party to called Ms. Elizabeth Ativie to order and stop parading herself as member of the party and also rejected the substitution of its candidate, Murphy Imasuen, who was duly elected at the state party congress where Murphy Imasuen emerged the party candidate.

It was earlier reported that Ativie announced her resignation from the All Progressives Congress (APC) without a definite answer on her next political move.

At a press briefing in Benin City, the Orhionmwon/Uhunmwonde leaders said it got wind of the ongoing plan to short change the party’s candidate, Imasuen, who was duly elected on July 13, 2022.

The state youth leader of the party, Mr Ken Omusi, who was joined by Oriakhi Osaigbovo and Austin Oronsaye called on the national and state leadership to Hon. Ativie not to parade herself as the party’s candidate for Orhionmwon/Uhunmwonde Federal Constituency.

According to the state youth leader, Mr. Murphy Imasuen was duly elected to represent the Orhionmwon/UhunmwondeFederal  Constituency during  the substitution primaries held in Abuja on July 13, 2022.

Part of the statement reads, “Hon. Murphy Imasuen was duly given the ticket to run for Orihionmwon/Uhunmwode federal constituency during the substitution primaries held in Abudu on the 13, of July 2022. Hon. Ativie  at the time of the substitution primaries was unarguably absent because she was still a card carrying member of the APC at the time.

“That Hon. Elizabelth Ativie who recently resigned her membership from the APC on the 6th of September, 2022, which is less than two weeks ago, urges her teeming supporters to remain calm, while assuring that in a few weeks, she would let the whole world know her next political action/move.

“We hereby make bold to say that, we do not recognize Hon. Ativie yet, as a member of the labour party in Edo State chapter talk more of being the House of Representatives candidate for Orhionmwon/Uhunmwode federal constituency. This is laughable, and a mere propaganda.

“We will not allow or tolerate any attempt made by Hon. Ativieto repeat her fraudulent act in labour party, as seen in the press statement signed by the APC state publicity secretary; Peter Igbinigie, said, “In the primary for the Orihionmwon/Uhunmwode federal constituency, Hon ElizabelthAtivie participated, and came a distant third and last in the same election, ably won by Dr. Billy Osawaru.”

While collaborating the state youth leader of the party’s stand, the Uhunmwode local government labour party chairman, Austin Oronsaye, said, Hon. Elizabelth Ativie is not a member of the Labour party in the state.

He explained that Ativie did not even have the labour party card, talk less of being the candidate to represent the party in Orhionmwon/Uhunmwode federal constituency.

He added that they are here to use the medium to tell Hon. Ativie to desist from the illegal and unnecessary acts and stop parading herself at the duly elected candidate to represent Orhionmwon/Uhunmwonde federal constituency.

Also, the local government labour party chairman in Orhionmwon, Comrade Osaigbovo Oriakhi, said the only labourparty candidate that he knew to representing Orhionmwon/Uhunmwode federal constituency at the National Assembly is Hon. Murphy Imasuen.

He urged Elizabelth Ativie to desist from the barbaric act, which he described would destroy the labour party in Edo State,and warned her to stop parading herself as the labour party candidate for Orhionmwon/Uhunmwode Federal Constituency.

Responding to the allegations, the former speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Elizathelth Ativie, said she is a bonafide member  of the Edo State chapter of Labour Party, that she even has the Labour Party card.

“I am a bonafide member of the Edo State Labour Party. All the allegations leveled against me is not true,” she claimed.