"This, for me, is the start of a very important journey, and it is my prayer that I arrive safely at my destination."

The former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Olumide Akpata, has joined the Labour Party (LP).

Mr Akpata, a lawyer, confirmed this in a post he made on his Twitter page on Tuesday.

"Quite a number of people have called/messaged me to confirm the news, currently making the rounds, that I have joined a political party.

"Yes...I joined the @labourparty_ng in March this year and on Sunday I attended my first Ward Meeting at Oredo Ward 6, in Benin-City, where I was formally introduced to members of the Ward and presented with my Party membership card," he said on the microblogging platform.

Mr Akpata said he joined the LP because he "got tired" of complaining about the happenings in Nigeria.

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

"This was a major step for me and not one that I took lightly," he added.

"This, for me, is the start of a very important journey, and it is my prayer that I arrive safely at my destination."

It is unclear if Mr Akpata will run for any elective office soon.

The Peoples Democratic Party is the ruling party in Edo State, where the former NBA president hails from. The All Progressives Congress, which is the ruling party at the national level, has a significant influence on the state's politics.

The LP has been greatly transformed into a formidable political party in Nigeria since Peter Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, South-east Nigeria, joined the party in May last year and eventually became its 2023 presidential candidate.

[Premium Times]