Ex-Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Elizabeth Uyinmwen Ativie, who is the standard bearer of the Labour Party (LP) for Orhionmwon/Uhunmwonde Federal Constituency seat in the 2023 elections to the House of Representatives, has denied allegations in some quarters that she was foisted on the party.
She spoke on Friday evening while hosting media executives in Edo State in a luncheon in Benin City.
Ativie insisted that she got the LP ticket by going through the process of participation in the party primaries as stipulated in the constitution, adding that those who were complaining about her emergence “are not even card carrying members of the Labour Party, decided to hide under the umbrella of unregistered civil society organisations to ferment problems in the polity. Their intention is to destabilize the party.”
Going further, she said, “I am not perplexed by those singing the song of illegality. I have documents to prove that I was legally elected. My concern is to ensure that Labour Party wins the elections in Edo State and to deliver the state for Peter Obi.
“Labour Party in Edo State remains one united family that is fighting a just course; for the emancipation of Edo people in particular and Nigeria in general. Vote for all Labour Party candidates in the coming elections so that at the end of the day, we shall be singing the song of emancipation.”
She challenged those alleging that she stands disqualified having earlier participated in a similar primaries of her former party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), to come forth with evidence to back up their claims, adding that having noticed the illegalities being perpetrated in the APC she abstained from the party’s primaries and instructed all her supporters to do same.
Ativie stated that there is no way she will be defeated in the polls if the election is held in accordance with what is stipulated in the constitution.
