Edo Governorship Race: Urgent need for Edo LP to overhaul it’s Publicity Unit,if Electoral Victory is to be attained

By Our Reporter

It has become imperatively urgent for the Edo Labour Party (LP) to undertake a thorough and immediate overhaul of its publicity organ if it wishes to achieve success in the coming Edo governorship election.

This pressing concern arises against the backdrop of the forthcoming September Governorship election in Edo State which portend varying degrees of surprises where all political parties have already unveiled their candidates and strategizing for supremacy.

Recall that the primary elections were marred by numerous political comedies with some parties conducting parallel primaries, others prematurely declaring their candidates, and a few arbitrarily submitting candidate names to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). However, all these conflicts can only be resolved by a competent court of law where all the litigations can be put to rest as we look forward to a peaceful Edo governorship election.

As the stage is set for issue based campaign activities which is the surest and more convincing route to the hearts of Edo electorates who are tired of inanities, it is therefore incumbent on political parties that are desirous of victory to concertedly strategize ways to connect with the people of the state. It is crucial therefore that such savvy political party prioritizes the indisputable role of seasoned, accessible, amiable and more importantly, knowledgeable public relations personnel who are in tune with the political climate of the times and who can adequately deploy the vital role of the media as a conduit for reaching the masses.

It is therefore in this regard that it has become imperatively instructive to take a cursory look at the abysmally counter productive display of most unprofessional conduct of the publicity Secretary and the self acclaimed image maker of the Edo state Labour Party, Sam Uroupa, whose alleged politically compromised stance barred Edo journalists from accessing the venue of the party’s primary.

It is worth noting that during the Labour Party primaries, held on the 23rd day of February 2024, the Public Relations Officer, Sam Uroupa, vehemently prevented Edo State journalists from covering the event. His justification was that only ten national newspapers was approved by the party’s national body, which of course wasn’t true.

Consequently, Edo State journalists were left baking under the scorching sun, while only a handful were permitted entry into the Bishop Kelly Hall to cover the proceedings. Understandably, this highly unfavorable treatment of journalists by Sam has led to severe criticism, with many questioning his suitability to lead the party’s publicity unit.

For a political party like the Labour Party, which positions itself as the messiah urgently needed by the people of Edo State to salvage their dwindling socio-economic fortunes, it is disheartening to witness behavior that is even worse than that exhibited by other political parties in the state.

Therefore, it is strongly advised that the Edo State Labour Party promptly overhaul its publicity unit, which is currently under the leadership of Comrade Sam Uroupa. His lukewarm attitude towards journalists could potentially cause significant damage to the party’s reputation, ultimately impacting their chances of securing victory in the upcoming Edo governorship election.

The publicity secretary, who should ideally be the closest ally of journalists, serving as a reliable source of information, has consistently proven to be lacking, claiming to have an unclear schedule of party programs.

Moreover, the State Woman Leader, Pauline O., was observed addressing journalists in a harsh manner, stating that not all journalists would be allowed to cover the party primary, an event which ordinarily was a program of national importance. This conduct is unbecoming of a State Woman Leader, whose role should involve fostering an affable relationship with the public to endear them to the party. But instead, she took over the functions of the publicity Secretary, who isn’t very conversant with the duties of a public relations jobs thereby de marketing the party in the most unprofessional manners.

Reacting to the unprofessional conduct of the publicity Secretary and the woman leader, a journalist who prefers to remain annanymous said she was barred from accessing the venue of the event.

According to her, I have never seen a situation where known journalists who have previously been covering events of the same party are now not allowed to cover and report the same event of the party they have been reporting in the past. Could this add up to the insinuations making the rounds of an alleged possible pecuniary inducement to barr some journalists because of planned manipulations of the process?

“There is need for the party to overhaul the publicity department if it aims to be strategically positioned to achieved victory which media publicity can achieve

“Imagine someone who claims to be the PRO of a party not knowing the location of the party’s primary.”

“At first, he informed journalists that the event would take place at Uyi Grand Event Center, only for journalists to arrive and discover that it was not at Uyi Grand Event Center but at Bishop Kelly Pastoral College.”

“We proceeded to Bishop Kelly Pastoral Centre only to find that no preparations had been made, leaving Edo journalists to patiently wait for all the arrangements and accreditations.”

“What baffled the Edo journalists the most was the unruly and
unfriendly demeanor of the publicity secretary, who outrightly refused to accredit Edo journalists that have been tirelessly promoting the activities of the Labour Party in the state.”
—to be continued