Tobias Sylvester
Labour Party has raised alarm over moves by a faction led by Lamidi Apapa to sabotage the petition of the presidential candidate of the party, Peter Obi, at the tribunal.
In a statement on Tuesday, April 25, LP acting National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh revealed that Apapa, a suspended Deputy National Chairman of the Labour Party, had approached the tribunal seeking to withdraw the party’s pending cases.
He urged the tribunals to disregard letters written by Apapa, demanding the dismissal of all petitions, including the one challenging the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinbu, in the February 25 election.
The LP spokesman accused Apapa and his supporters of working to satisfy their paymasters who are determined to truncate the country’s democracy.
Ifoh asked the Department of State Service (DSS) and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to go after the “enemies of the country’s democracy.”
The statement reads, “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 fledgling 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 paymaster 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 the 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 have 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.”
KanyiDaily recalls that Lamidi Apapa had claimed that Peter Obi is not qualified to rule Nigeria because the presidential candidate does not respect court order.
