**Abure insists his life had been under threats
The Labour Party on Tuesday defended the N30m fee it is charging for nomination and expression of interest form for the forthcoming Edo State Governorship election
The leadership of the party had pegged its Governorship nomination form at N30m as fee for aspirants interested in the party’s ticket for the forthcoming Edo State governorship election.
However, criticisms have continue to trail the action of the Party’s leadership which some members have described as insensitive, they insisted that fixing such a high amount is ill-advised of the party.
Reacting to the critics on Tuesday during a press conference at the Secretariat of the Party, the National chairman of the party said, “The National working Committee sat extensively considered all the variables put all the factors together before Arriving at that amount.
“We must say that the party needs a lot of funds in order to drive the process of electioneering. Today, no matter how you conduct primary election funds are required, even after elections litigations are going to arise from whatever you do.
“Litigation cost a lot of money., even organising the primary itself is expensive. When the party was not as big as this you could explain to people that you have no money to give but today people believe that the party has money and when you send anybody for any assignment you must pay them adequately
“Today in this part of Nigeria majority of members of political parties don’t pay dues, people hardly support political parties and the only source of funding for the party as it stands today is through the sale of nomination forms.
“Therefore funding the party, responding to challenges in the party and so on and so forth makes it imperative for us to arrive at that amount.
“I want to say it is about the cheapest within the political parties. We believe that we ought to draw attention to our philosophy of being a party for the downtrodden. With the reality on the ground we have looked at it and come to that conclusion.
“Again, the truth is election is expensive in Nigeria. We believe that candidates who are not able to afford our nomination fee may not be able to conclude the process of election. Therefore all of these factors put together is what resulted in the fee.
“Ours is still the cheapest among the commity of political parties.
As for the question whether I am running for the Edo State governorship election.
On whether he is nursing any ambition to run in the Edo, he responded in the negative saying,
“I have said it categorically that I am not running for Edo Stste governorship, I am not interested, I will conduct a free fair and credible primaries in Edo for the party to get the best.
On issue of threats to his live, we have made several reports. This has to do with my personal security and the Police have grasciously reinforced my security.
He pointed out that though his life has been under threat since the 2023 election, no amount of threat will deter party members from rescuing Nigeria from the hands of dangerous individuals.
He said, “We have been faced with many challenges since the end of the 2023 election. They have threatened my life. As a matter of fact, my life has been under threat since the 2023 elections, and that of other members of our party.
“But we will not be deterred because we know that the struggle to free Nigeria from the grips of some dangerous individuals isn’t going to be an easy task.”
He admonished the party members to remain committed and steadfast by having more confidence in the party’s leadership
“We have taken the party from nothing to something and we ever remain committed to the ideals of Labour Party
On the matter of placeholder, “I believe that with the strength of the party today, with the membership strength of the party at the moment, the issue of placeholder in the party will now become a thing of past.
Abure also debunked allegations that the party would field a weak candidate in the gubernatorial election in Edo State to make it easy for the ruling party to have a lead in the elections.
He said there is no truth in that allegation because the failures experienced by Nigerians have been from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the (All Progressive Congress).
He said that the Labour Party under his leadership was not in any pact with the ruling party in the state to bungle a competitive candidate to square up with the ruling party come September 2024.
According to him, updates in the police investigations over the various allegations have exposed the lies and empty orchestration against his person and the dream to better Nigeria through the Labour Party.
He pointed out that all the persons who alleged that they were wrongly changed from being the party flag bearers for the various positions as governor or for legislative seats in Ebonyi, Imo, Edo, etc., were mere placeholders, a scheme adopted by the party at the time to secure the seats for the party to be able to field candidates in the elections.