… Insists Lamidi Apapa is acting national chairman.
A member of the Lamidi Apapa-led faction of the Labour Party and aspirant in the 2024 governorship election in Edo State, Curtis Ugbo has described as illegal the N30 million expression of interest form released by the party for its members participating in the forthcoming election adding that those behind the exorbitant fee are transactional businessmen who are only out to make money for themselves.
Curtis Ugbo who made the declaration during a press conference in Benin City on Friday queried the rationale behind the exorbitant N30 million form fees for aspiring members of the party to procure the expression of interest form in the 2024 governorship election, calling it illegal.
In his reaction to a press statement earlier released by the party in Edo State where it said that the party, like every other party such as the APC and PDP, was in need of money to participate in the electioneering process adding that any aspirant who could not afford the form fee was not ready to run, Curtis Ugbo retorted by saying that it was laughable that some individuals in the hierarchy of the party have hijacked the party in order to enrich themselves.
He said, “I saw their press statement saying that those aspirants that could not afford the N30 million fee are not ready to run for the governorship.
“They are comparing the Labour Party, a party based on masses’ movement, with APC and PDP that have been in government since 1999. These parties have empowered governors, Presidents, and national assembly members and others.
“Did Julius Abure win his unit for the Labour Party as national chairman during the presidential election? No. Did Kelly Ogbaloi win his unit as state chairman of LP during the elections? Also No. These people have turned the Labour Party into transactional business by using our party to make money.
“I also heard when they said that they needed funds to run the party and the governorship election. Where are all the monies received from both local and international donors during the presidential election? Have they been able to give account for those funds that came? Did they give out money to party agents during the elections? No. They used it for themselves,” Ugbo alleged.
He insisted that he and other members of the party consulted with Alhaji Lamidi Apapa, the acting factional national chairman of Labour Party that N30 million as form fee was too exorbitant for members adding that anything short of N5 million will not be in the interest of members.
“For him selling LP governorship form for N30 million, we are not with him. First of all, that one is illegal. We are all carrying the Labour Party’s flag. It is not a different party. It is the same party but because they want money, they want to be using our party to be making money. Should I now keep quiet? No. I have been a member of LP since 2018, and at least am old enough to speak as a member of LP” Ugbo added.
” Julius Abure was suspended and asked to step aside by the court of law but he is disobeying court orders. Apapa is next to Julius Abure. When the court asked him to step aside, Apapa came on board. That is how it is done, there is no vacuum in power.”
He called on Barrister Julius Abure to obey court order and stop parading himself as national chairman of the party in order to allow peace reign in the party but rather should subject himself to proper scrutiny by providing answers to the myriads of allegations bothering on forgeries and corruption levelled against him in court.
