Lamidi Apapa Claims He Is New Acting National Chairman
The contrived crisis in the Labour Party took a new turn today with the purported meeting of a factional national working committee led by the Deputy National Chairman (South) of the party, Lamidi Apapa, who claimed to have taken over the affairs of the party following a court judgement restraining Julius Abure and 3 other party chieftains, from parading themselves as national party executives.
Lamidi said he was now the Acting National Chairman of the party with Saleh Lawan as the Acting National Secretary.
Lamidi also insisted that he remains the Acting Chairman until another court vacates the initial restraining order.
Curiously, the purported National Working Committee (NWC) also reinstated sacked state executives from Rivers, Gombe and Ogun States.
Lamidi also announced the reinstatement of the suspended National Youth Lader, Eragbe Anslem and also the announcement of Yomi Arabambi as the National Secretary.
Julius Abure Reacts
Meawhile, Julius Abure, the National Chairman of the party who is one of the executives targeted by the initial court order has dismissed the move as the handiwork of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) meant to destabilize the Labour Party.
Abure released a statement saying:
“A court of competent jurisdiction only yesterday ordered that I, Julius Abure remain the National Chairman, and should not be restrained from performing my duties, it, therefore, baffles me why the Nigerian Police should allow itself to be used to perpetrate illegalities,”
“We advise the Police, APC, and their sponsors to play by the rules. We will no longer tolerate the often intimidation and deployment of brute forces against the party and its personnel”
“We demand they put a stop to the abuse of power and respect the rights and privileges of other political parties, particularly, the Labour Party to contest for power”.
The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has thrown its backing behind the Julius Abure leadership of the Labour Party.
NLC released a statement reiterating that Julius Abure remains the Labour Party National Chairman.
The NLC in its released statement expressed alarm at the order given by Justice Hamza Muazu against the executives of the Labour Party on unfounded and unproven malicious allegations of corruption, perjury and forgery based on a petition brought by elemenst whose interest in the party are dubious and doubtful.
The statement alleged that the order was given with an intent to weaken the party and prevent it from fighting to reclaim its victories at the recently concluded polls.
It further advised the courts to be exercise caution when entertaining frivolous suits from mercenary party elements so as not to compromise the integrity of the courts.
