By Grace Chigbu
The Labour Party (LP) has accused Lamidi Apapa, a self-acclaimed factional chairman of the party, of attempting to have all cases brought by the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, against Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the February 25, 2023 election dismissed by the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal.
Obiora Ifoh, the Labour Party’s acting National Publicity Secretary, has urged the Tribunal to disregard Apapa’s actions, which he believes to be aimed at threatening Nigeria’s democracy. Ifoh has called on all arms of the judiciary, including the courts and tribunals, to ignore the actions of Apapa, who is a suspended Deputy National Chairman of the party. He has also called on the police, DSS, and EFCC to arrest Apapa and others who he believes are enemies of democracy.
Ifoh believes that Apapa and his co-travellers are attempting to satisfy their paymasters, who are intent on threatening Nigeria’s democracy. He believes that their actions are the height of subterfuge and treachery, and that Nigerians will resist any ploy to plunge the nation into unnecessary turmoil. Ifoh believes that Apapa’s actions demonstrate that he is working against the party and that he is attempting to destroy it.
He questions why Apapa and his co-travellers are attempting to withdraw all cases lodged by Labour Party candidates if they claim to have a problem with the national leadership of the party. He also questions what offence the candidates of the party have committed that would warrant the withdrawal of their matters from the tribunal.
The LP’s leadership is calling on the tribunals to disregard any letter emanating from their suspended National Legal Adviser, Samuel Akingbade, requesting the withdrawal of all their cases. The LP is also calling on the presidential election tribunal to disregard such letters from ex-officials of the party who are asking for the withdrawal of Peter Obi’s petition.
In April, Apapa declared himself as the LP national chairman following a fresh legal battle in the party. However, Labour Party state chairmen in the 36 states of the federation disowned the factional leadership, throwing their weight behind Julius Abure as the party’s leader. Despite this, Apapa has insisted that he is the party’s national leader, as the court has suspended Abure and national officers.
