The Labour Party has raised an alarm over an attempt by its suspended Deputy National Chairman, Lamidi Apapa, to withdraw all cases involving Labour Party candidates from all election tribunals in the country.
The Labour Party released a statement on Tuesday, April 25, signed by the Acting National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, in which he revealed that Lamidi Apapa has written to the election tribunals asking for a withdrawal of all cases pending at the tribunals involving Labour Party candidates, including that of the presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
The Party called on the tribunals and all courts to ignore the letter emanating from the suspended Lamidi Apapa and invited the Police and other security agents to arrest Lamidi Apapa and his followers who were described as “enemies of democracy”.
Ifoh went ahead to name the suspended and compromised members plotting to frustate the Party’s destined victory at the tribunals to include; Samuel Akingbade, Gbenga Daramola, Anselem Eragbe and Abayomi Arabambi erstwhile National Legal Adviser, National Financial Secretary, National Youth Leader and National Publicity Secretary .
It is indeed very curious as to why the Lamidi Apapa faction would want to sabotage the party at the tribunals now. This move would help to deepen suspicions that the Lamidi Apapa faction have been compromised to cause chaos in the Labour Party by interested parties who want to prevent a thorough litigation of the elections, which are hotly disputed by the opposition parties, including Labour.
Here is an except from the released statement:
DANGER ALERT
SUSPENDED DEPUTY NATIONAL CHAIRMAN OF THE LABOUR PARTY, LAMIDI APAPA HAS APPROACHED ALL THE ELECTION TRIBUNALS WHEREIN LABOUR PARTY HAS PENDING MATTERS INCLUDING THAT OF OUR PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, H.E. PETER OBI, ASKING FOR WITHDRAWAL OF CASES.
WE ARE BY THIS STATEMENT INFORMING ALL ARMS OF JUDICIARY, INCLUDING THE TRIBUNALS AND COURTS TO IGNORE THE IGNOBLE ANTICS OF THESE COMPROMISED SUSPENDED MEMBERS OF THE PARTY. WE ARE ALSO CALLING ON THE POLICE, DSS AND EFCC TO ARREST THESE ENEMIES OF DEMOCRACY.
THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF OUR PARTY NOMINATED MR OBIORA IFOH AS OUR ACTING NATIONAL PUBLICITY SECRETARY IN LINE WITH THE PARTY CONSTITUTION AS THE POSITION WAS VACANT AFTER THE EXPULSION OF THE FORMER OCCUPANT.
Daily, the evil intention of the breakaway faction of the Labour Party, led by the suspended Deputy National Chairman, Lamidi Apapa continues to manifest and just this morning, our legal team was confronted by the stark revelation that these men have advanced their plot by approaching all the tribunals where our numerous candidates lodged their election petitions arising from the recently held general election.
Alongside Lamidi Apapa on the plot to frustrate Labour Party’s destined victory in the tribunals and also to derail the fledging democracy are some of the suspended members including the Samuel Akingbade, Gbenga Daramola, Anselem Eragbe and Abayomi Arabambi erstwhile National Legal Adviser, National Financial Secretary, National Youth Leader and National Publicity Secretary respectively amongst others.
Recall that the leadership of the Labour Party has been swimming through the murky waters of conspiracy, treachery and sabotage orchestrated by these former officers of the party. We had long suspected that moles were planted to sabotage the efforts of the party to offer Nigerians an alternative to the wicked and clueless governance in place today, but the desperation to satisfy their pay master are beginning to threaten our common peace and of course our democracy.
Approaching the tribunals to withdraw all the cases lodged by Labour Party candidates across board is the height of subterfuge and treachery, and Nigerians will resist this ploy to plunge the nation into unnecessary turmoil.
Their actions show that they are working against the party and that they are working to destroy the party. If they claim that they have problem with the national leadership of the party, will they also claim that they have problem with the candidates of the party. What offence has the candidates of the party committed that they are now moving around to withdraw their matters from the tribunal.
The leadership of the Labour Party is therefore calling on the tribunals to disregard any letter emanating from our suspended National Legal Adviser, Samuel Akingbade to the effect that all our cases are to be withdrawn. We are also calling on the presidential election tribunal to disregard such letters from these ex officials of our party asking for the withdrawal of HE Peter Obi’s petition.
We also call on the Police, DSS and EFCC to quickly apprehend and question these agents of destruction before they succeed in igniting the nation.
