Lamidi Apapa, the factional chairman of the Labour Party (LP) has summoned lawyers of the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, handling his case at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT).
Mr Apapa gave the order on Friday while briefing the press on the outcome of their court case against the Julius Abure-led faction which the court ruled it had jurisdiction to entertain.
“There’s no doubt that I’m now in charge,” Mr Apapa asserted. “It has now been confirmed by the court that I have the right to be in charge.
“As of today (Friday), I’m the acting chairman of the party and anybody who parades himself apart from myself is acting illegally.”
He thereafter summoned the lawyers handling their case to appear and brief him on the progress of the court process which began on May 8.
“I want to invite all the lawyers that are in charge of representing Labour Party that they should come for briefing,” he ordered. “They should come and give me update of what is happening in that tribunal within the next 48 hours because right now I’m the person on the driver’s seat and I’m fully in charge.”
Abure remains our chairman
The Abure-led faction in a statement by Obiora Ifoh who is the acting National Publicity Secretary explained that the court ruling on jurisdiction is “not for judgement as Apapa’s group is peddling in their usual way of misinforming Nigerians but purely for the purpose of determining the jurisdiction of the court.
“However, we have appealed the ruling immediately because we know we will not get justice from the court.
“Meanwhile, Barrister Julius Abure remains the National Chairman of the Party pending the final determination of the matter,” he concluded.
