Labour Party (LP) governorship aspirant in Edo State, Olumide Akpata has denied his involvement in the attacks on some leaders of the party in the Lamidi Apapa faction.
Some members of the Apapa group were attacked in Edo State.
According to the video shared on social media, the LP members were attacked, beaten and hospitalized for allegedly defrauding youths in an attempt to hold the party’s governorship primary election in the state for the coming gubernatorial election.
Speaking during an appearance on Friday’s edition of Channels Television’s Politics Today, Akpata denied any link to the incident.
He described the accusation as an attempt to malign his person.
The LP aspirant lamented that he was shocked in the way people cook up stories and carry on as if that is the reality.
He wondered why he was being singled out considering that there are 30 other aspirants seeking the Edo State governorship ticket.
Akpata insisted that the issue in the LP predates his entry into the party and wondered why he was constantly being accused of what he knew nothing about.
Meanwhile, the LP in Edo State has denied rumors that it asked Akpata to drop off the race, maintaining that the purported source of the claim is not a member of the party.
The spokesman of the party in Edo State Sam Uruopa made this clarification in an interview with Channels Television in Benin City.