Doom befalls Peter Obi's Labour Party as crisis worsens

The Labour Party is currently facing leadership crisis which is frustrating Peter Obi’s attempt to reclaim his mandate at the Appeal Court.

Recall that Peter Obi headed to the Election Petition Court to challenge the outcome of the 2023 presidential election held on February 25, where Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress was declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

Obi is also contesting the process following the lack of transparency that was encounter at some polling stations as witnessed by election observers and the failure of Bola Tinubu to win 25 percent of the votes in the Federal Capital Territory.

This battle Obi is hoping to win; however, he has been faced with internal wrangling following the leadership tussle of who to take control of the Labour Party.

Justice Hamza Muazu, in a ruling, held that the court had the jurisdiction to hear the matter and make the order restraining Abure and the others from parading themselves as national officers of the LP.

Abure, the National Secretary, Umar Farouk Ibrahim; the National Treasurer, Oluchi Opara; and the National Organising Secretary, Clement Ojukwu, who were suspended on April 5 had filed the motion challenging the court’s powers to hear the matter.

The restraining order was given by Justice Hamza Muazu while ruling on an ex-parte application argued by James Onoja, who told the court how the restrained National officers reportedly forged several documents from the FCT High Court in order to carry out unlawful substitutions in the last general elections.

The High Court judge, refused to decline jurisdiction on the matter brought by a group loyal to the suspended Deputy National Chairman of the party, Lamidi Apapa, against the Labour Party and Julius Abure.

In response to the action by the FCT State High Court, the party said that it would appeal the ruling. It said, “We are appealing the ruling immediately because we know we will not get justice from the court.”

After the ruling, Apapa, asked lawyers representing the Labour Party and Peter Obi at the Presidential Election Tribunal to brief him and his executives within 48 hours about developments in their case challenging the victory of the president-elect.

“I want to invite all the lawyers that are in charge of representing the Labour Party that they should come for briefing. They should come and give me update on what is happening in that tribunal within the next 48 hours because right now I am the person in the driver’s seat, and I am fully in charge,” he said while speaking to pressmen.

Abure and his team accused Apapa’s group of misleading the public with wrong information with intention of putting the party in a bad light with some members insisting that its current National Chairman, Barrister Julius Abure, “remains the National Chairman of the Party pending the final determination of the matter.”

The two factions continue to battle over leadership and Nigerians have expressed disappointment at the tussle within the party.

A recent altercation occurred at the presidential election petition court on Wednesday, May 17, between Lamidi Apapa, factional leader and Akin Osuntokun, the director general of Peter Obi’s presidential campaign council over court seats.

Lamidi Apapa on his part demanded to sit where Osuntokun and his team were seated as representatives of the Labour Party but was met with refusal as Osuntokun claimed he does not know him.

This clash caused chaos at court as moment after the case was adjourned, a large crowd gathered around Apapa, booed and called him thief.

He was immediately whisked away to safety by security operatives.

Reacting to the incident, Apapa accused Peter Obi and Abure of mobilizing thugs to attack him and disgrace him.

According to him, he believes in Obi’s mandate as he is an Obidient. However, he does not see anything wrong with him, being respected as the leader of the party.

However, Kenneth Okonkwo, one of the lawyers representing Peter Obi in the election petition slammed Apapa for parading himself as a leader who has not been vetted.

He said the constitution of the Labour Party allows for the leader to have won 2,3rd of the votes in the national convention. Adding that he is not a party of the suit at the PEPT and no court has given him any order to regard himself as the Labour Party chairman, as Apapa intentionally came to court to cause chaos today.

He further said, no court has the right to determine the leadership of any political party, which has been said by the Supreme Court.

Apapa however, said in an interview that he is not against the withdrawal of the election petition cases in court and that he believes the party has a case against the All Progressives Congress.

He also denied being a cohort of opposing political parties especially the APC led by President-elect Bola Tinubu.

This battle ravaging the Labour Party continues, and leaves questions on the minds of people if indeed this internal crisis will affect Peter Obi’s chances of reclaiming his mandate.

Lamidi Apapa, the factional leader of the Labour Party has said that he is fully behind Peter Obi reclaiming his mandate at the court.

According to him, he does not succumb to the withdrawal of the election petition as claimed by the factional party.

It was reported that Lamidi Apapa has sent letters to the election tribunal to withdraw the cases.

However, Apapa denied the allegations, adding that he only asked the lawyers to brief him as the leader of the party on the ongoing cases.

He challenged the other faction to provide proof of the letter he had written to withdraw the cases in court.

The Labour Party has been faced with leadership crisis following its lose at the 2023 presidential election.

As the court ordered Julius Abure, to stop parading himself as the leader of the party over allegations of anti-party activities, Lamidi Apapa claimed he leadership which led to a spilt of the Labour Party.

Both Abure-led factional party and Apapa-led factional party are at loggerheads over leadership of the party.

BS