…Says APC not sponsoring crisis in Labour Party
From Okwe Obi, Abuja
Contrary to speculations that the All Progressives Congress (APC) was sponsoring the leadership crisis bedeviling the Labour Party, its acting National Chairman, Lamidi Apapa, has dismissed the claims.
Apapa in this interview insisted that he was not a mole sponsored to destabilize the LP.
The former governorship candidate of the party in Oyo State, maintained that nobody was after the embattled former National Chairman, Julius Abure, as being rumoured, stating that he would vacate office as soon as the court clears Abure of alleged forgery and perjury.
He added that since he assumed office he has not met with the leader of the party, Peter Obi, for amicable resolution of the crisis, the reason being that Obi travelled out of the country. He equally parried the claim of its former Deputy National Chairman, Callistus Okafor, who said he was supposed to be the party’s substantive chairman.
What exactly is the problem rocking Labour Party?
It is not a problem per se. It is just a misunderstanding. Sometime last week, the Abuja Federal High Court gave an order, restraining five principal leaders of the party from parading themselves as leaders of the party for alleged forgery and perjury. And you know in politics, it has to do with situation. Now, we have primaries to conduct, screening of candidates for Imo State, Bayelsa State and Kogi State governorship election. If nothing is done at all, these principal officers that have been restrained from conducted primaries and screening exercise whatever is done at that particular time will be regarded as illegal. The constitution of Labour Party is clear that for whatever reason, if the national chairman or state chairman is unable to perform his responsibilities, the next person that is the deputy chairman or the national deputy chairman will act in that capacity until the matter is resolved. So, that has been done. And I did not do that on my own. An emergency National Working Committee meeting was convened and in that meeting I was nominated to act in that capacity until the court order is vacated to that effect, if possible. That was all. But some people now misunderstood this. Some people said I was removed. Some said maybe I was a mole. Some people said I was being used by the APC. But I have been able to clear that to an extent. I have granted interviews with ThisDay, Nigerian Tribune. I have even gone to Channels, Silverbird and so forth to let people know the fact of the case. That is just the summary.
How long have you been in Labour Party?
I have served Labour Party for good 21 years. And I have not joined any other political party since I started my political career. When Labour Party was initially formed it was called Party for Social Democracy in 2002. And I was the Chairman for that PSD in Oyo State during that period. And when it metamorphosed to Labour Party, I continued. I was chairman for 10 years in Oyo State. And after that, I contested for the governorship position in Oyo State in 2007 under the Labour Party. Again, I contested as the Chairman for Southwest Labour Party in 2014 before I became deputy national chairman in 2019. So, I have been an officer all through in the party and I have never been in any other party.
There are allegations that you are being sponsored by the APC. Is it true?
It is not true. And I challenge anybody who has an information to that effect to come forth with it and tell the whole world.
Before now, what was your relationship with the embattled Abure?
It has been cordial. What I am doing now is in the interest of the party, our candidates and the country. Because we must demonstrate it that nobody is above the law. You cannot be restrained by the court and still be parading yourself as officers of the party when you have been restrained. Doing so is nothing, but illegality. And anything you place on it is null and void. That is my own side of the story. I have told everybody. Nobody is after him (Abure), nobody is after his position. If tomorrow he gets another order that clears the other one, no problem. But Labour Party is the creation of the law and nobody is above that law. Labour Party cannot do anything contrary to the law of the land. What we have on the ground is a criminal matter. It is not a civil matter. You will be surprised that the allegation is that he forged documents. And not only that, somebody’s name was forged with a forged stamp. It was equally stolen and used somewhere to complete the assignment. The police have done their investigations and it has been submitted to competent court of the land. Nobody is judging anybody. We are saying that you should go and clear that before you come back. At the moment you are bound to obey the laws of the land that is supreme than anything else.
In the midst of the crises, what has been the take of your leader, Peter Obi? Has he been able to resolve it internally?
He has not called us. We expect him to call us when he is in town. I understand that he is out of the country. We are expecting him to call us when he is in town.
Is it true that security personnel barred most of you from gaining access into the secretariat of the Labour Party in Abuja?
It is not correct. The people that were screened, I am talking about the governorship aspirants, they were screened at the secretariat. I led the team that screened them.
Will the lingering impasse not affect the chances in the forthcoming governorship election in Bayelsa, Kogi and Imo states sequel to the factionalisation of the party?
Labour Party is not factionalised. We regarded all the aspirants as our aspirants. No one is contesting under another platform. Once you have paid your money into the account of the party, and we have an evidence of payment, that person remains the aspirant of the party. There is no argument over that. Our plan now is that whether we have 20 aspirants that primary will be done at the venue. This is beyond anybody. It is beyond me. It is beyond Abure. This is a party issue. And we must not play with the lives of other people. If there is any argument that affects them, then we are not fair to them. Somebody must emerge from our primary. And when they emerge, they must be allowed to play their role. So, we are not going to do anything that will affect our candidates in anyway.
How optimistic is your party in the governorship polls in the Bayelsa, Kogi, and Imo?
Well, our aspirants made us to understand that they are all on ground and that we should get ready that they are going to win.
Why is the cost of the governorship forms so expensive? Some aspirants say they bought it for over N20 million?
Some got it lesser than that.
What is the cost of the form?
Some people bought it for N25 million. Some bought it for N15 million.
Why the discrepancy in the purchase of the form?
Abure was in charge at that time. He is the only one who can answer the question.
Under your leadership, how much did you approve for the purchase of the form?
Nobody has paid because the sales of forms had closed when I took over.
There are claims that the NLC and TUC are backing Abure. Is it true?
I am not sure. Anyone who backs Abure is acting out of ignorance. Nobody is after Abure in anyway. I keep on saying it. I am not after his position. But we must defend the position of the party. We must defend the aspirants. If we do not defend them and place anything on illegality, you are not helping our candidates. We are not after him in anyway. I keep on saying it. My position now is in acting capacity and if he is cleared by the court, I will step aside and if that is not done and I am confirmed by the party (God’s willing), so be it.
Since you came on board, have you met with the leader of the Labour Party, Peter Obi?
I have not met with Peter Obi. He is currently out of the country. I want Nigerians to be patient and every issue will be resolved.
Are the state chairmen of Labour Party behind you?
I won’t say yes and I won’t say no, because when they came to Abuja, we did not ask them to come and vote. They came to Abuja to sympathise with the national chairman (Abure). Some of them did not know why they were called to Abuja. They initially went to Benin to see the national chairman. And it was from there that they realised that the situation has occurred. So, they were brought to Abuja. They did not know what really happened until they got here. They expressed their sympathy. But now the tempo has reduced because they have realised what really transpired.
Have you held a meeting with the state chairmen to that effect?
We have not had a meeting with the state chairmen. We took over less than one week. And there is this work of primary, screening which are paramount, and we do not want to make mistakes.
Are you aware that Callistus Okafor is claiming to be the chairman of the Labour Party?
To me, it is like he is joking because if he has left the party after so many years ago; even if he was in the party, he would have finished his tenure a long time ago. To me, there is no vacuum in any system. I remain the only acting national chairman of the party at the moment.