Nigeria, Feb. 24 -- Olumide Akpata, the former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), is the governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in Edo State.

Mr Akpata scored 316 votes to win the LP governorship primary election in Benin City, Edo State, on Friday, according to a report by Channels TV.

Channels TV reported that the Deputy Governor of Abia State Ikechukwu Emeta, who was the chief returning officer for the election, declared Mr Akpata as the winner of the election.

This is the first time the former NBA president is actively involved in politics, having joined the LP in August last year.

"I decided to take the plunge and to try to be part of the solution rather than agonising continually over the problem (of Niger...