Apapa-led faction working to sabotage Obi’s petition at tribunal –LP

From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja

Labour Party (LP), yesterday,  alleged ongoing plot by its suspended Deputy National Chairman, Lamidi Apapa, to illegally withdraw all pending matters before the various election tribunals including that of its presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

The party in a statement by its Acting National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, urged the judiciary to disregard the moves, describing it as ignoble antics of compromised suspended members of the party.

Ifoh said the perpetrators were enemies of democracy who posed a threat to the country’s peace and stability. He pleaded with the Department of State Service (DSS), police, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to apprehend them.

“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 problems with the national leadership of the party, will they also claim they have a problem with candidates of the party? What offence have 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letter emanating from our suspended National Legal Adviser, Samuel Akingbade to the effect that all our cases are to be withdrawn.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 Petition Tribunal to disregard such letters from these former 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.”

However, in response to the claim, suspended LP National Legal Adviser, Samuel Akingbade, refuted it in a phone conversation with DailySun, claiming that their camp had no such plans to withdraw the party’s election lawsuit that was pending before the Tribunal.

“We don’t have the intention to withdraw any of our tribunal matters.  As a matter of fact, we are going all out to the end; from the Tribunal even the the Supreme Court. Now, if Abure and his cohorts have copies of letters they claim we wrote to the court, they should bring it to the knowledge of Nigeria. What they are doing is to make unnecessary noise because they know they are no longer in control, they are no longer recognised. For us in LP, we are committed to our members and  we want all LP supporters, the Obidient to beware of Abure and his lies,” he said.