This development follows an earlier news conference on Wednesday, where Mr Philip Mulip, Director of Publicity for the LP Presidential Campaign Council in the state, led other party chieftains to endorse Agbu for the election. Mulip had said the endorsement of the PDP candidate followed careful scrutiny of all the governorship candidates in the state.
However, the state LP chairman, Gulmu, refuted the endorsement, describing it as the handiwork of mischief makers to tarnish the party's image in the state. She noted that Mulip was not the party’s governorship candidate or any candidate of the Labour Party in any position for the 2023 general elections.
“Our governorship candidate is Sen. Joel Ikenya, and not Mr Mulip, and we have not endorsed any candidate. We are still in the race," Gulmu said.
She further stated that the action of Mulip was condemnable and could best be described as a desperate move to tarnish the good image of their party and candidate. Gulmu urged the people of Taraba to disregard the purported endorsement and keep their faith and full support for the Labour Party to take over Taraba.
In his remarks, Ikenya, the governorship candidate, expressed surprise at the action of Mulip, saying the purported endorsement was pure mischief. He reiterated that he was the most qualified for the job as a former member of the Senate and former Minister of Labour and Productivity in Nigeria.
The LP governorship candidate also called on the people of Taraba to support his party in the upcoming election, assuring them that he would deliver good governance and improve the people's living standards.
The LP's denial of the purported endorsement has sparked mixed reactions from the public, with some expressing disappointment at the LP's inability to maintain a united front ahead of the election. Others have commended the party's swift action in denouncing the endorsement, describing it as a move to uphold its integrity.
Meanwhile, the PDP has yet to react to the development, and it remains unclear how the LP's denial of the endorsement will affect the election outcome. With just a few days to the governorship election, political tensions continue to mount in Taraba state, and stakeholders are calling for a peaceful and credible election.