Lamidi Apapa, the deputy national chairman (south) of the Labour Party (LP), has denied being paid or sponsored by anyone to cause a crisis in the party.
News About Nigeria understands that Apapa made this known while declaring himself the acting national chairman of the party in an interview with Channels Television on Sunday.
This comes after Julius Abure, the national chairman of the LP, alleged that thugs aided by police officers invaded the party’s headquarters in the federal capital territory (FCT) and caused damage to the property.
Abure claimed that the invasion was sponsored by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to destabilise the party and its challenge of the presidential election won by Bola Tinubu.
Apapa stated that he has been a member of the party since 2002 and cannot work against it.
He further added that a court had asked Abure to step down as the chairman of the party, and thus, his actions are in order.
Apapa emphasized that he is not arguing with Abure’s leadership, but rather, the court’s ruling should be followed.
He said, “When it has to do with the laws of the land, the Labour Party constitution does not allow anybody to run foul of the Nigerian constitution, and at the moment when the court has ruled that don’t parade yourself any longer as the national chairman of that party, right from that moment he ceases to be the chairman of the party. By virtue of that law, he is bound to step aside because the law has said don’t do it.”
Apapa, who was the chairman of the party in Oyo and gubernatorial candidate of the party in 2007, maintained that he is the acting national chairman of the party, using his experience, knowledge, and age to advise the national working committee.
The LP has been in the news for its challenge of the presidential election results won by Bola Tinubu.
The invasion of the party’s headquarters by alleged thugs and police officers only added to the chaos within the party. However, Apapa’s declaration as the acting national chairman has brought some clarity to the situation.
