Dr Azemhe Azena, a contender for the Labour Party’s gubernatorial ticket in the upcoming September 21, 2024, election in Edo State, has officially resigned from the party.
The resignation, dated January 27, 2024, was formally tendered in a letter addressed to the Ward 10 chairman of the party in Okpekpe, Etsako-East Local Government.
Azena, who was one of the 18 gubernatorial aspirants, had voiced opposition to the N30 million fees required for the purchase of expressions of interest and nomination forms during a protest held on Thursday.
As a televangelist and the Pastor of Southern Region 2 of Omega Fire Ministries, Benin City, Azena initially expressed his firm determination to participate in the party’s gubernatorial primary election scheduled for February 22, 2024, despite the financial hurdle.
In his resignation letter, Azena cited alleged mistreatment endured by himself and his supporters at the hands of Michael Onaivi, the Akoko-Edo local government chairman of the party, during their visit to the area.
Azena alleged that Onaivi obstructed him and his team from accessing the local government, which ultimately influenced his decision to withdraw from the party.
According to him, “My decision to leave the party I have so much laboured for is based on the ill-treatment I got when I embarked on a political tour of all the local government areas in Edo North, where I came from, between December 27 and 30, 2023.”
“It was to my utmost surprise that the leadership of the Labour Party in Akoko-Edo, led by the Local Government Area chairman, Mr Michael Onaivi, resisted and prevented my team and I from entering the local government for the said visit.”
He further stated that he reported the incident to Chris Ighodalo, Leader of the Edo North Senatorial District of the party, and had several entreaties made to the chairman by the senatorial leader to allow his team to visit the local government, all to no avail.
“I wrote a protest letter to the senatorial leadership, copying the state leadership, and have personally met with the senatorial leader over the issue; up until today, nothing has been said or done about it.”
He condemned the alleged ill-treatment, regarding it as a disregard for justice and equality, which goes against the principles of the party.
He also expressed gratitude to the party’s state leadership for the past opportunity to serve as an active member.
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