- Obi must be unbias to resolve LP crisis- Apapa
- Denies receiving N500m from Tinubu
By Vivian Okejeme, Abuja
The Presidential Election Petition Court, has adjourned till Friday, May 19, the pre-hearing of the petition by the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, against the President-elect, Senator Bola Tinubu.
Also, yesterday, factions of the LP clashed in court, just as a factional Chairman, Mr. Lamidi Apapa, was taken into protective custody by security operatives attached to the Court of Appeal in Abuja.
Problem started shortly after the adjournment, as Apapa, while stepping out of the courtroom, made attempt to address the media, group of youths that identified themselves as “Obidients”, pushed him away from the cameras, insisting that he lacked the right to speak for the party.
Reacting, the embattled Apapa, in a press conference after the fracas, called on Obi to objectively intervene and resolve the heating chairmanship crisis.
He also denied the allegation of receipt of 500 million Naira from external forces to destabilize the party, Apapa vehemently denied receiving any money or being influenced by anybody or group to work against the party.
He insisted that what happened at the Presidential court in which fracas broke out in the presence of Peter Obi, was disgraceful and a test to Obi’s leadership quality.
Apapa said that the leadership crisis would have been put behind them if the presidential candidate had respected the order of the federal Capital Territory High court which ordered Julius Abure and three other from parading themselves as National Officers of the party over their indictment for forgery and Perjury.
Tracing the genesis of the leadership crisis, Apapa said that immediately the order of court was served on the party, he was unanimously selected in acting capacity as the National Chairman of the party.
Further in his speech, he said that it was wrong of Obi to accord respect to Abure in-spite of the order of the court and as a presidential candidate seeking Justice from the same court of law.
He also said that is was wrong of Peter Obi to have claimed not knowing him adding that he worked closely and even travelled in the same flight with Peter Obi through out his Presidential electioneering campaign.
He therefore, appealed to Obi to be open minded, neutral, and objective so as to be able to stop the crisis.
Also speaking at the briefing the deputy National Chairman of the Party in the North Mike Ayuba Auta denied that the all Progressive Congress was behind the crisis adding that the allegation was baseless and unfounded.
Auta apologized to Nigerians who he said gave Labour Party over 6million votes during the last presidential Election, adding that that should not be discouraged by the current leadership crisis and assured that the dispute will soon be resolved.
