Labour Party National Chairman Lamidi Apapa Speaks Out Following Court Verdict on Abure's Faction.

Labour Party National Chairman Lamidi Apapa Speaks Out Following Court Verdict on Abure's Faction.

In a recent press conference held in Abuja on Thursday, August 24, Lamidi Apapa, the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), addressed the ongoing crisis within the party following a court verdict that favored his faction. The court of appeal had ruled against the Julius Abure-led faction and ordered the recognition of governorship candidates produced by Apapa's faction for the upcoming November 11 governorship elections in Kogi, Bayelsa, and Imo states.

Apapa began by reminding attendees of the prior developments in the case. He highlighted that on April 5, the FCT High Court had restrained Abure and his associates from representing themselves as national officers of the party. Consequently, the party designated Apapa, the Deputy National Chairman, as the acting national chairman in accordance with its constitution.

Citing this progression, Apapa explained, "Following these events, the party under my leadership communicated with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to reschedule the primary election date set by Abure from April 15 to April 16." Despite the restraining order, Abure proceeded to hold primaries for the states of Imo, Kogi, and Bayelsa on those specified dates.

Apapa continued, "In response to my conducted primary, a candidate who participated in Abure's primary contested my candidate's legitimacy, asserting that Abure's candidates were the true representatives." This disagreement led to a legal battle, culminating in a ruling by the Federal High Court in Owerri Division. The court declared Apapa's primaries to be valid, noting that Abure had conducted his primaries while under a restraining order.

As a result of this legal victory, Apapa firmly conveyed his stance during the press conference. "Only candidates endorsed by me will be allowed to participate in the governorship elections scheduled for November 11 in Kogi, Bayelsa, and Imo," he affirmed.

The press conference shed light on the ongoing internal dispute within the Labour Party, underscoring the complexities of selecting candidates for the upcoming elections. With the court's verdict in favor of Apapa's faction, the LP's focus now shifts to the preparation and consolidation of their candidates' campaigns as the election date approaches.