The Labour Party, LP, has described as false and unsubstantiated, news that its Bayelsa State chapter has ditched its governorship candidate in the November 11, election, Engr. Udengs Eradiri for the state governor, Douye Diri.
LP National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, in a statement on Thursday, said:
“The party’s attention was also drawn to a statement by some unauthorized party leaders without the consent of the state Chairman and Secretary, who supposedly withheld their individual support for our candidate.
“The party leadership also read a statement by the chairman of the Forum of Labour Party Local Government Chairmen as well as the interview granted by our candidate with a national Television today on the matter.
“We sincerely do believe that all these issues are clearly a manifestation of political intrigues and clearly an attempt by the opposition elements to frustrate our chances at achieving victory at the poll.
“Our preliminary investigation on the allegation of financial compromise by the state chapter clearly shows that the alarm was false and has remain one of the age long tools often deployed by political opponents to achieve dubious edge over candidates who are the favourites of the people.
“We need to however state categorically that no party official from the national headquarters has entered into any deal with the Bayelsa State governor to compromise the election.
READ ALSO: Oborevwori condoles Soludo over father’s death
“We are in this race to win and we are sure that no amount of dirty politicking can stop the Labour Party and its candidate, a former President of the Ijaw Youth Council, IYC from winning the election.
“Eradiri is young, popular, experienced and with track record of performance at the highest level.
“His zeal to change the socio economic status of Bayelsa is unimaginable and unprecedented.
“We, therefore, believe that the unfounded rumour is being orchestrated by our political opponents.
“We also use this opportunity to call on our candidate, Eradiri to be focused and not to be distracted from the goals before him.
“He must ensure that the entire party structure is put into maximal use to achieve the needed success.
“Finally, we urge Bayelsa people to disregard the rumour and support the party as they have always done in time past, particularly, in the recently concluded presidential election where the state voted for Labour Party massively.
“They must file out and vote for the Labour Party and vote out these personalities who have held the state down since inception of this democracy,” he added.
