The ranks of the coalition African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Edo, swelled on Tuesday as the 2024 governorship candidate of the Labour Party(LP), Olumide Akpata, defected to the party.
Akpata was received by the State Chairman of the ADC, Kennedy Odion; former governors of Edo State and leaders of the ADC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun and Professor Oserheimen Osunbor; former Senate Chief Whip, Roland Owie; Murphy Omoruyi, member representing Egor/Ikpoba-Okha Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, alongside Peter Obi, the LP presidential candidate in the 2023 election, amongst others.
The former LP chieftain, who was handed the party card by the State Chairman, said he took the decision to join the ADC after Peter Obi joined the party on December 31, 2025, stressing that his joining the party was to add value.
Akpata, who expressed gratitude for the warm reception, thanked the ADC for the belief in the new Nigeria, and also the Obidient Movement for their steadfastness.
In his remarks, Obi expressed his commitment to a new Nigeria, adding, “our commitment to a new Nigeria is total though they are doing everything possible to stop us.”
“We must build a nation that works for all, not a few. This country is currently working for a few; it shouldn’t be so. We are all Nigerians.
“As a matter of fact, we must move this country from the status of consumption to production.” The former Anambra State governor posited.
Earlier, in his welcome remarks, the State Party Chairman, Odion, who thanked Peter Obi for his steadfastness, said the party was committed to building a new Nigeria.
In his remarks, Oyegun said: “Our stocks are growing everyday not just in number but in quality. Nigeria is a nation that needs to be saved.”
Also speaking, Professor Osunbor, who expressed optimism that the Oyegun-led coalition would lead ADC to victory in 2027, added: “Oyegun led the coalition in 2013 that led APC to victory in 2015, and he is leading the coalition now under ADC to lead us to victory in 2027.
“He is someone that has always led coalition to victory. We are sure he is going to lead this coalition to victory.” Osunbor enthused.
Osunbor, who accused the ruling party of the plan to rig the 2027 elections, added that the ruling party “only pretends to be democrats, but in the real sense they are not.”
“There are people who pretend to be democrats, but they have exposed themselves to Nigerians as being anti-democracy. An example of that was their refusal to approve real-time transmission of election results.
“The major mistake that was made in the 2023 election is that election results were not transmitted electronically in real-time in the presidential election. So, we expected that the National Assembly would approve real-time mandatory transmission of election results, but they refused.
“We are not going to allow the rigging they are planning. It is only those who intend to rig that are opposed to real-time transmission of election results. They know that they have been rejected. They know that they cannot win a free and fair election following the rules, but Nigeria must be on alert,” Osunbor warned.