The Labour Party in Cross River State has debunked claims that it had formed an alliance with the All Progressives Congress.
Earlier, Odey Brian, claimed he is the LP candidate in the forthcoming Cross River State House of Assembly election for Yala 1 Constituency.
On Monday, Brian had appeared with the Cross River APC chairman, Barrister Alphonsus Eba, at a news conference at Nigeria Union of Journalists Press Centre, Calabar, where Eba had declared that the APC has decided to project and sponsor the LP candidate since its own candidate, Regina Anyogo, was disqualified by the Supreme Court last week.
Eba said, “We have decided to go into alliance with the Labour Party in the state. We also want to identify with this young man, Brian Odey who was able to mobilise vast numbers of votes for Labour Party.
“We have agreed that while we support him with all he needs to win the election as member representing Yala 1 State Constituency, he will also work substantially to boost votes for our governorship candidate, Prince Bassey Otu, instead of Prof Sandy Onor, the PDP candidate.”
Daily Post reported that, in a more recent statement, however, the Publicity Secretary of the LP in Cross River State, Dr. L.U. Ofem, distanced itself from the said alliance and also denied that Brian Odey is the party’s candidate, rather it affirmed, Ogar Osim, as its governorship candidate for March 11 election.
The statement read, “Labour Party is not in any alliance with APC or any political party. LP has its governorship candidate in the person of Patriarch Ogar Osim who is very much in the race to victory.”
He affirmed that the purported endorsement of a certain Brian Odey as the LP candidate for Yala 1 State Constituency was an exercise in futility as he “has no affiliation with LP Cross River State structure,” also stating that, “LP CRS completely dissociates itself from the arrangement.”
According to Ofem, the desire of the APC to form an alliance with the LP is a result of the LP’s massive win in the state, particularly, in Yala Local Government Area, during the just concluded presidential election.
