A frontline governorship aspirant on the platform of Labour Party for the Edo 2024 governorship election, Comrade Curtis Ugbo has condemned officials of the Edo State chapter of the party for insisting on N30M for the purchase of nomination form ahead the party primaries.

Comrade Ugbo while addressing the press weekend in Benin City wondered why Labour Party which is the party for the masses of Nigerians that have been oppressed by the ruling class be comparing itself with the All Progressives Congress (APC) and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) that have criminally looted public treasury and deprived the people of the good things of life.

While alleging that Labour Party officials have turned the party into a money making entity, Comrade Curtis Ugbo who was reacting to the press statement by the Edo State chairman of Labour Party, Comrade Kelly Ogbaloi wherein he was mentioned as the one stoking members of the party to reject the N30M nomination fee, also alleged that Labour Party agents in the 2023 presidential election were not paid.

“I am of the Apapa faction in Edo State. I saw their press statement yesterday saying that those governorship aspirants that cannot afford N30m for form are not ready to run for governorship and comparing Labour Party with APC and PDP.

“I want to ask, did Julius Abure win his unit for Labour Party in the 2023 presidential election? Did Kelly Ogbaloi win his unit for Labour Party in the 2023 presidential election? No. Because these people have turn Labour Party into a transactional business. They are now using it to make money. I also heard when he said they need funds to run the party during the governorship race. When we were doing the presidential election did Labour Party give anybody money? We of the Obidient Movement sponsored Labour Party. Money was coming from local and international donors and have they been able to give account of those funds that came from local and international donors? How much did Kelly Ogbaloi and Julius Abure give to party agents during the 2023 presidential election? There was no money given out, all the money they got they used it for themselves, they put the money into their pockets.

“Some of these people were owing rents this time last year who are now comparing Labour Party with PDP and APC and have suddenly become billionaires as a result of the fraud and forgery they’re committing and are now comparing Labour Party with APC and PDP that have been in power since 1999, that have produced presidents Governors, Senators, National Assembly members and ministers.

“They’re comparing Labour Party that is based on the masses with those political criminals in APC and PDP, then what are you?”

While urging governorship aspirants on the Labour Party platform for the Edo governorship election to stop dealing with the Barr. Julius Abure faction, Comrade Ugbo stated that he has told the acting national chairman, Lamidi Apapa that if the nomination form is more than N10M he will not participate in the process.

“For us in Apapa faction I’ve told the acting national chairman, Alhaji Lamidi Apapa that if the form is more than N10m I’ll not participate. I’ll not buy form for more than N10m because Labour Party is for the masses of the people. We are coming to teach them how to be a Governor of the state, we’re coming to liberate the masses of the people. The suffering in this country is too much, we cannot continue to live like this.

“That’s why I called this briefing, that Julius Abure is not the national chairman of Labour Party, whoever is dealing with him, buying form of N30m from him are wasting their time and their money.

“Labour Party is one in Nigeria, Julius Abure was asked to step aside by the court of law, but he’s disobeying court order. Apapa is the next to Julius Abure when the court asked him to step aside, then Apapa came on board. That’s how it’s done, there’s no vacuum in power. We are all carrying Labour Party flag. It’s illegal for Abure to be collecting money for form when the court has told him to step aside. He cannot be using our Labour Party to be extorting people and we keep quiet”.