Suspended LP members scheming with funding from APC, party alleges
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
A plot is afoot by suspended members of the Labour Party (LP) to stop its petition at the tribunal challenging Bola Tinubu’s victory in presidential election victory, the party has alerted the tribunal and the general public.
The LP and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, are challenging the declaration of Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the poll by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
LP acting National Publicity Secretary Obiora Ifoh said the faction led by suspended Deputy National Chairman Lamidi Apapa are opposition plants bent on stopping Obi from claiming his “stolen” mandate.
Speaking elsewhere, LP acting National Youth Leader Kennedy Ahanotu alleged on Arise TV on Wednesday morning the APC is “the drum” behind (or sponsor of) the plot by the party renegades.
“Daily, the evil intention of the breakaway faction of the Labour Party, led by the suspended Deputy National Chairman, Lamidi Apapa continues to manifest and just this morning, our legal team was confronted by the stark revelation that these men have advanced their plot by approaching all the tribunals where our numerous candidates lodged their election petitions arising from the recently held general election,” Ifoh alerted in a statement on Tuesday.
“Alongside Lamidi Apapa on the plot to frustrate Labour Party’s destined victory in the tribunals and also to derail the fledging democracy are some of the suspended members including the Samuel Akingbade, Gbenga Daramola, Anselem Eragbe and Abayomi Arabambi erstwhile National Legal Adviser, National Financial Secretary, National Youth Leader and National Publicity Secretary respectively amongst others.
“Recall that the leadership of the Labour Party has been swimming through the murky waters of conspiracy, treachery and sabotage orchestrated by these former officers of the party.
“We had long suspected that moles were planted to sabotage the efforts of the party to offer Nigerians an alternative to the wicked and clueless governance in place today, but the desperation to satisfy their pay master are beginning to threaten our common peace and of course our democracy.”
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Subterfuge and treachery
“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,” Ifoh said, per Vanguard.
“Their actions show that they are working against the party and that they are working to destroy the party.
“If they claim that they have a problem with the national leadership of the party, will they also claim that they have a problem with the candidates of the party? What offence [have] the candidates of the party committed that they are now moving around to withdraw their matters from the tribunal?
“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.
“We are also calling on the presidential election tribunal to disregard such letters from these ex-officials of our party asking for the withdrawal of HE Peter Obi’s petition.
“We also call on the Police, DSS and EFCC to quickly apprehend and question these agents of destruction before they succeed in igniting the nation.”
The party leadership loyal to Julius Abure equally noted that the appointment of Ifoh as acting National Publicity Secretary followed due process as enunciated in the party’s constitution.
“All stakeholders including the state chairmen and their secretaries, zonal officers, owners and trustees of the party including NLC and TUC, some elected members of the party, as well as the leader and presidential candidate of the party amongst others, met in Asaba on April 18, where I was elected as the National Publicity Secretary due to the vacancy that occurred after the expulsion of the former National Publicity Secretary in line with the powers conferred on it.
“Article 14(2) b Section XIV of the Labour Party constitution on the Powers and Function of the NEC states ‘To fill vacancies in the NWC as they may occur from time to time in between National Convention; Also Section XV states; To take disciplinary action against any member or organ of the party as it may seem fit in the interest of the party.
“All relevant government agencies including NEC were present where I was unanimously elected. It is even ludicrous that an imposter who committed a crime and forged signatures upon which he has been suspended over six months ago and for him to turn around to be calling people imposter, I wonder who is the imposter here.”