“As of right now, I am the party’s acting national chairman.”
Lamidi Apapa asserts that he is the acting National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP) and has the backing of Peter Obi’s supporters, also referred to as “Obidients,” who are the party’s presidential candidate.
Following a new legal dispute within the party, the deputy national chairman (south) had last week formally proclaimed himself to be the LP national chairman. Following this event, the state chairmen of the Labor Party in the 36 states that make up the federation disavowed the factional leadership and supported Julius Abure as the party’s head.
Apapa, however, asserts that he is the party’s interim national chairman.
As he appeared on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, he declared, “As of today, I am the acting national chairman of the party.”
The LP commander denied accusations that he was supported by adversaries in an effort to derail the party. As a founding member of the LP, he asserted, he wouldn’t do that.
“That’s not accurate. Nobody is supporting me, claimed Apapa.
The LP leader continued, “For someone to suddenly say I intend to run down the party, that is a lie.
He claims that his action is the appropriate one because a court had already ordered four national party officers, including Abure, to stop disguising themselves as such.
So, what else could have happened if that had? Seven members of the LP National Working Committee (NWC) voted for him to serve as the party’s acting head, he said, adding that the next person should take over.
Apapa asserts that he has the support of Obi’s expanding “Obidient” base, despite criticism from certain party members for the decision.
When asked if Obi’s supporters were behind him, he responded, “I believe so. “Are they not Nigerians when you say Obidients’ side?”
When asked if he was familiar with the “Obidient” movement, which some members of have criticized his action, he responded that they were acting ignorantly.
Let me tell you, he continued, “if they know what happened, they will know they are acting ignorantly.”
