The Labour Party has dissociated itself from a viral letter signed by the self-acclaimed factional national chairman of the party, Lamidi Apapa, asking the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal to dismiss all cases by the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, against the emergence of the All Progressives Congress Bola Tinubu, in the February 25 general election.
According to a statement made available to journalists on Tuesday by the party’s acting National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, on Tuesday, it partly read, “We urged the Tribunal in Abuja to disregard the antics by Apapa, who us a suspended Deputy National Chairman of our party.
“We are by this statement informing all arms of judiciary, including the Tribunals and courts to ignore the ignoble antics of these compromised suspended members of the party.
“We are also calling on the police, DSS and EFCC to arrest these enemies of democracy,” the statement added.
Corroborating the stance of the party, Ifoh spoke on Channels Television’s Programme, Politics Today, alleging that Apapa is seeking to jeopardise the victory of Obi with his action.
Ifoh, who later spoke on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme, on Tuesday, alleged that Apapa is seeking to jeopardise Obi’s victory with his action.
“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,” he maintained.
“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letter emanating from our suspended National Legal Adviser, Samuel Akingbade to the effect that all our cases are to be withdrawn.
However, Apapa has insisted that he is the party’s acting national chairman, adding, “Since the court had suspended Abure and other national officers, I am the next to take over.”
Punch