Lamidi Apapa, factional chairman of the Labour Party, has given lawyers who are representing the party and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, at the Presidential Election Tribunal 48 hours’ ultimatum to report to him.
Apapa mentioned this while briefing newsmen after he was reinstated as the party acting chairman in Abuja on Friday.
He stated that he was now the only recognised leader of the Labour Party by the court, and warned that anyone else who regarded himself as the party’s chairman apart from him was violating the court ruling.
He said, “I am so pleased that justice has taken place today because under normal circumstances we begin to doubt but today we are happy that the judge had acted promptly and reasonably. There is no doubt that I am now in charge. It has now been confirmed by the court that I have the right to be in charge until another order is taken place.
“As of today, I am the acting Chairman of the party and anybody who parades himself apart from myself is acting illegally and I want to tell the whole world that come next Friday. The real suit will start when the issue of forgery, conspiracy, and so forth will commence. And from that we will know if actually offences have been committed or not.
“I want to use this opportunity again to tell the whole world that the tribunal that is going on. I want to invite the lawyers that are in charge that are representing Labour party that they should come for briefing. They should come and give me update of what is happening in the tribunal within the next 48hours because right now I am the person on the driver seat and I am fully in charge.”
The National Executive Council (NEC) of the Labour Party on Tuesday suspended Lamidi Apapa and five others.
Apapa and the other affected members were suspended over alleged anti-party activities which were not specified.
Apart from Apapa, the other affected members are Alhaji Saleh Lawal, Deputy National Secretary; Rawland Daramola, National Financial Secretary; Prince Reuben Favour, National Vice-Chairman, South-South; Samuel Akingbade, National Legal Adviser and Mohammed Akali, National Vice-Chairman, North-East.
The party’s NEC also upheld the decision of the Akure convention which expelled the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Comrade Arabambi Abayomi.
Apapa and five others, on April 6, 2023, took over the affairs of the party following the ruling of a Federal High Court which restrained Julius Abure from parading himself as the chairman of the party.