LP has no candidate in Ebonyi guber election — it is advantage to us, says PDP chieftain

Austin Edeze, director general of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) campaign in Ebonyi, says the absence of a candidate from the Labour Party (LP) in the March 18 governorship election in the state is an “advantage” to his party. 

Edeze spoke in a chat with Arise TV on Tuesday.

There is confusion over who is the authentic LP candidate in the state after the supreme court sacked Edward Nkwegu as the flagbearer.

Though Splendor Oko Eze, the state’s chairman of LP, was reportedly declared the candidate, Fidelis Nwankwo, a former health minister, has been campaigning as the party’s flagbearer.

Speaking on the situation, Edeze said LP has supported the PDP in the state because it “does not have a candidate”.

“It is to the advantage of the PDP that LP does not have a candidate in Ebonyi state. A lot of branches of LP have already collapsed their structures to support PDP. It is not just only LP, a lot of other parties have to collapse their structures to support our candidate,” he said.

“And he is going to be the next governor of Ebonyi state, going by the support. Even amid the insecurity going on in the state, I am still assuring our people that we are determined to change this government, to come out victorious on Saturday.”

The top contenders for the Ebonyi governorship race are Francis Nwifuru, candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC), PDP’s Ifeanyi Odii, and Bernard Odo of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA).