Olumide Akpata, the immediate past president of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, says he has joined the Labour Party, LP.
The NBA ex-president said on Tuesday that the decision to join the party was based on pressure on him to participate in active politics.
The Source magazine however learned that his resolve to join the LP may not be unconnected with the governorship election in Edo state slated for November 2024.
He hails from the south south state where the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, is expected to conduct a governorship election next year.
The incumbent Godwin Obaseki is expected to leave office next year as he winds down his maximum eight-year tenure.
It was learned that Akpata is interested in contesting the governorship election for which some political gladiators in the oil-producing state, including Deputy Governor Phillip Shuaibu has also shown interest.
Speaking yesterday after collecting his membership card from LP officials, the former NBS leader said pressure had mounted on him to participate in active politics.
He explained that he decide to join politics in other to be part of the solutions after complaining from the sideline for a long time.
The Edo-born lawyer, who posted in his official twitter handle, @OlumideAkpata, said he joined the party so as to be part of the solution instead of persistently lamenting about the problem.
The lawyer stated in his verified Twitter handle that “quite a number of people” have been calling on him to confirm the report, saying he joined LP in march this year.
According to him, “Quite a number of people have called/messaged me to confirm the news, currently making the rounds, that I have joined a political party.
“Yes, I joined the @labourparty_ng in March this year and on Sunday I attended my first Ward Meeting at Oredo Ward 6, in Benin-City, where I was formally introduced to members of the Ward and presented with my party membership card.
“This was a major step for me and not one that I took lightly, but I simply got tired of complaining about Nigeria every day and bemoaning her fate and I decided to take the plunge and to try to be part of the solution rather than agonising continually over the problem.
“This, for me, is the start of a very important journey, and it is my prayer that I arrive safely at my destination.”
Meanwhile, keen watchers of politics in the state said the governorship election coming up next year will be a showdown between the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, All Progressives Congress, APC, and LP which has registered its presence in the state during this year’s general election.
