According to the factional National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Basiru Lamidi Apapa, Mr. Peter Obi’s disregard for the law during the party’s presidential primary campaign in February was the root cause of the party’s current leadership problem.
He said that if Obi had refused to recognize Mr. Julius Abure, the party’s suspended national chairman, in accordance with the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory’s judgment, the leadership crisis would not have broken out.
However, in order to end the ongoing situation amicably, Apapa urged Obi to enter the conflict objectively.
After attacking the Presidential Election Petition Court in Abuja on Wednesday, Apapa requested that Obi be impartial in order to settle the contentious chairmanship dispute during a press conference.
Mike Ayuba Auta, the party’s deputy national chairman for the north, Olufemi Abayomi Arabambi, the national publicity secretary, and one of the women leaders, Mrs. Rukayat Salihu Umar, were all present at the media briefing. Apapa described what transpired at the Presidential tribunal, where a brawl broke out in Peter Obi’s presence, as shameful and a test of Obi’s leadership abilities.
Apapa claimed that the party’s leadership problem might have been avoided if Obi had complied with the Federal Capital Territory High Court’s ruling prohibiting Julius Abure and three other individuals from representing themselves as party national officers as a result of their forgery and perjury indictments.
In tracing the origins of the current leadership problem, Apapa stated that he was unanimously chosen to serve as the party’s acting national chairman immediately upon the delivery of the court’s decision to the party.
As a presidential contender seeking justice from the same court of law, Apapa contended it was improper for Obi to show deference to Abure notwithstanding the Court’s order.
Apapa fiercely refuted charges that he received 500 million Naira from outside forces in an effort to weaken the party, claiming that he did not receive any money and was not coerced by any individual or group to work against the party.
He added that Peter Obi should not have claimed that he was unfamiliar with him, alleging that they had a tight working relationship and had even used the same flights as Peter Obi while he was running for president.
To resolve the situation, he pleaded with Obi to be impartial, open-minded, and fair.
The Deputy National Chairman of the Party in the North, Mike Ayuba Auta, also spoke at the briefing and refuted the claim that the All Progressive Congress (APC) was responsible for the crisis, saying it was unjustified and without merit.
The Labour Party received almost 6 million votes from Nigerians during the most recent presidential election. Auta apologized to them and said they shouldn’t be deterred by the present leadership turmoil since it will be handled shortly.
