Labour Party factions clash, fight dirty at Appeal Court over authentic Chairman

By Christiana Ekpa

The leadership crisis rocking the Labour Party (LP) took a new dimension on Wednesday at the Presidential Election Petition Court in Abuja as the two factions engaged themselves in a free for all fight that almost cost a factional Chairman of the party, Bashiru Lamidi Apapa his life.
The fight broke out after the proceedings of the Court when Apapa was almost mobbed by supporters of one faction of the party at the court premises.
It took the efforts of about 100 Policemen to rescue Apapa from being lynched by the party membera.
Apapa, who was dressed in a brown agbada and brown cap to the Court, was jacked up several times by the attackers who wanted to smash him to the ground, but was immediately taken to safety by the Police after he was rescued.
The factional members held Apapa hostage for almost one hour, while he was attempting to come out of the court after the day’s proceedings to address newsmen who were on standby to get his reaction to the leadership dispute in the party.
The group, chanting unprintable words against Apapa, prevented him from addressing journalists.
Commotion, however, broke out outside the courtroom when both factions engaged themselves in a free for all fight that almost led to the breakdown of law and order.
Heavy security men present at the court were mobilised to the scene and prevented the fracas from leading to bloodshed.
Earlier, inside the courtroom, the two factions had battled for recognition and for recording as the authentic representatives of the Labour Party which is the second petitioner.
At the commencement of the proceedings for the day, Peter Obi announced his appearance as the first petitioner, while Mrs Dudu Maluga, who claimed to be the National Women leader of the party, announced her appearance as the representative of the LP.
Almost immediately, Lamidi Apapa, who was sitting in the opposite direction of Peter Obi, jumped up and announced himself as the Acting National chairman of the party, as well as the authentic representative of the party.
In the drama that ensued, the Chairman of the Court, Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani ruled that none of the factions would be recognized or recorded as the representatives of the Labour Party.
Peter Obi, who was the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the February 25 presidential election kept mute while the power tussle between Apapa and Maluda lasted.
Also, the suspended National Chairman of the party, Julius Abure who sat closest to Peter Obi in the courtroom did not intervene in the matter.
Meanwhile, the Court has adjourned further pre-hearing sessions in Peter Obi’s petition against the declaration of Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the President-elect by INEC till Friday, May 19.
Justice Tsammani fixed the date after taking arguments from parties in the matter.