Follow Us on Google
From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
The Labour Party (LP) on Wednesday advised its state chairmen not to dare to join the faction led by its suspended Deputy National Chairman (south), Lamidi Apapa, unless they were prepared to lose their positions.
LP Deputy National Chairman, Mrs Ladi Iliya issued the warning at a Conference by the leadership of the Party which included all the state chairmen and the National Working Committee (NWC) in Abuja on Wednesday.
She said the Apapa-led group was a set of suspended members who had been paid to cause havoc and distract the party.
According to her, “We are here to address ourselves and tell the nation that Labour Party is one and we are united. If people that have committed an offence and have been asked to stay aside, went through the disciplinary committee and were found guilty and suspended and then went and formed another group, common sense should tell you that these people are just doing it to distract attention. They have been paid to do their bidding and they are doing it and we are following them. We have seen the hotels where some of them are staying, and those hotels they know that they cannot afford to them on their own. We know where the so-called acting chairman is staying and it is a shame that after claiming that you were one of those that built this party in 2002, you are part of those again trying to dismantle the party. I think it is a shame because, for us, Labour Party is a big family. If there is anything, there are due processes which we have followed in the party.
“We know there are few, maybe one or two that decided to go on that side because of money. We know that some people were given two million, and others were given five million. How long will it take you, for you to sell your birthright this is where we belong and I want to say that anybody, be it Secretary or chairman that dares to go and join them, loses his seat. Whoever we find dining with those people, we are not going take it lightly and I think I am speaking the minds of the chairmen that are here and I have the endorsement of the National Working Committee”
Iliya further noted that they had the backing of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) who are the true custodian of the party, adding that whoever is not recognised by the two bodies doesn’t count.
Acting National Publicity Secretary of the Party, Mr Obiora Ifoh, urged members of the public and the party’s supporters to continue to disregard the activities of Apapa and his cohorts particularly “the so-called NEC meeting in Bauchi. Today all chairmen, secretaries, and NWC members are here. So who are they meeting with in Bauchi? Their desperation and haste to satisfy their paymasters are high.
He stated that: “One of the lessons we learnt is that these agents of darkness can go all the way to destabilize a political party by infiltrating its leadership and planting moles who are of course, heavily compromised to ensure that the party loses focus. Heart of men are desperately evil and who can know it, so says the good book. We also learnt though painfully that there will always be a Judas in every twelve. In our own case about six of our former leaders who are now suspended and led by Lamidi Apapa, a suspended Deputy National Chairman, choose to paint their legs black for a few wards of naira, to betray the worthy course of reclaiming Nigeria. They sold their conscience to the devil and made money their mammon.”
