Olumide Akpata, the Labour Party candidate in the September 21 gubernatorial election in Edo State, said he has decided not to contest the results in court.
According to the result announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Akpata came a distant third behind the winner, All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate Monday Okpebholo, and runner’s up, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Asue Ighodalo.
Akpata said he decided after “extensive deliberations” with his lawyers and supporters. However, he said his decision should not be seen as “capitulation to injustice, but a resolute stand against a flawed system.”
“I chose to rise above the quagmire of protracted legal battles that often serve to legitimize a fundamentally compromised process. Instead, I commit myself to the arduous but necessary task of systemic reform.
“Our fight transcends the confines of a courtroom; it is a battle for the very soul of our democracy.
“This choice, borne out of deep reflection and rigorous analysis, transcends mere political calculation,” he explained.
Mr. Akpata, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria – Nigeria’s elite club of accomplished lawyers, was, in fact, a former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).
Nigeria’s elections typically end in the courts because of a flawed and corrupt system. However, Akpata did not disclose whether he believed he had won the election.
“As a legal practitioner with over three decades of experience, alongside my deputy, a distinguished Senior Advocate of Nigeria, we have scrutinized every facet of this election.
“Our conclusion, reached after consulting with some of the nation’s finest legal minds, is not just about the outcome of a single election but about the very foundations of our democratic process,” Akpata noted.
Nigeria moves on to another off-season election in Ondo State, South West Nigeria, on November 16.
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