The Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate in Edo State, Olumide Akpata, on Saturday said he won’t challenge the result of the September 21 gubernatorial election.

Akpata emerged third with 22, 763 votes in the election. He lost to the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Monday Okpebholo, who raked in 291,667 votes to defeat PDP’s Asue Ighodalo, who came second with 247,274 votes.

Three weeks after the contest, Akpata said he wouldn’t approach the Tribunal, despite citing irregularities and electoral malpractice in the exercise.

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“My decision not to contest the election results at the tribunal is not an indication of compromise; rather, it is a strategic move aimed at redirecting our energies towards systemic changes that our democracy desperately needs,” he said.

“This moment calls for a paradigm shift in our approach to electoral reform. We cannot continue to operate within a system that incentivises manipulation and disenfranchisement.”

My decision not to approach the tribunal is not a capitulation to injustice but a resolute stand against a flawed system. I choose to rise above the quagmire of protracted legal battles that often serve to legitimise a fundamentally compromised process. Instead, I commit myself… pic.twitter.com/X3T8o0yenZ

— Olumide Akpata (@OlumideAkpata) October 12, 2024

More to follow…