Edo 2024: Edo LP Swells As Obaseki’s Ex-Aide, Ogbemudia, Imansuangbon Join Forces

The political fortune of the Edo State chapter of the Labour Party (LP), Thursday, swelled as a former Commissioner for Youths and Special Duties, Hon. Andrew Enwanta, and daughter of former governor of defunct Bendel State, Amen Ogbemudia, formally joined the Labour Party as Barrister Ken Imansuangbon visited the party’s State Executive Committee in Benin City, the State capital.

Imansuangbon, who had penultimate week defected from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the LP, also on Tuesday formally registered his membership with the party at his Ward 2, Esan South-East Local Government Area of the State.

The trio of Imansuangbon, popularly known as the ‘Riceman’, Hon Andew Ewanta, Ame Ogbemudia and other defectors, were received at the party’s secretariat located at Ogbelaka Street, by the LP state chairman, Kelly Ogbaloi, and his excos.

Imansuangbon while addressing party’s faithful recalled his sojourn in party politics and declared that his defection from the PDP had put an end to his painful years of deceit in the hands of political godfathers, whom he lamented never meant well for the state.

He declared, “My eyes are now opened and I have decided to take my case to God almighty and to Edo people. I don’t want to put my case in the hands of the godfathers anymore.

“I’m tired of the oppression of the godfathers, tired of the pains and deception; I want to now take my faith and destiny into God’s hand and the good people of Edo State. With God and Edo people, my 2024 is sure.”

Also, Hon. Enwanta, who resigned his membership of the PDP last week, challenged Governor Godwin Obaseki to give account of trillions naira accruable to the state since 2016, noting that the time for propaganda and MoUs was over.

He lampooned Obaseki for alleged imposition and destroying the PDP in the state, accusing him of now occupying the position of a godfather in the state.

“In 2020, when the governor came into the PDP, we had people like the Dan Orbihs and the others because of lack of relationship skills, these people have been ostracized from the party; little wonder the party performed abysmally.

“At the first ballot in February this year, in the nine federal constituencies, PDP won zero, senatorial election, PDP won zero. It has never happened in the history of PDP in Edo State that a party in government will perform abysmally, for me that was a referendum on the government.

“Over N3billion have been spent on Nigerian Observer and Edo Broadcasting Service, (EBS), all kinds of consultants have performed surgeries on Nigerian Observer Newspapers and EBS and nothing to show. This is a government that since it came in has received over one trillion naira and nothing to account for; it is the height of fraud.”

Also, daughter of the former Governor of the old Bendel State, Amen Ogbemudia, and a one-time Executive Director under former governor Adams Oshiomhole, decried the state of decay and rots in public schools in the state and promised that Labour Party’s administration will right the many wrongs in the state.