Labour Party factions clashed at PEPC Court over the authenticity of leadership as Lamidi Apapa-led faction questioned Julius Abure loyalists’ presence in the court.
The Election Petition court rejected all Labour Party representatives, except the 1st petitioner, Peter Obi, who was present in court. The decision was made due to a potential disagreement between two party factions.
Obi announced his appearance with Dudu Manuga, the National Women’s Leader to the court. However, labour Party fractional leader, Lamidi Apapa promptly announced as the representative of the Party. Justice Haruna interrupted, stating, “No party representative recognized.”
Also Read: Labour Party, Lamidi Apapa and others suspended over anti-party activities
They claimed that the suspension of the Abure-led faction by a High Court in the FCT still stands. The court adjourned the pre-hearing of Peter Obi’s petition on its last sitting. Drama has been arrested with the intervention of the court who only recognize Peter Obi as the only party representative.
This chaos is coming-in after the Lamidi Apapa led faction of the Labour Party has distanced itself from calls for an interim government and opposition to Bola Tinubu’s swearing in on May 29th. They believe the ongoing legal tussle involving the APC, INEC, and their party will not be impacted by Tinubu’s swearing in. It’s possible to remove the President-elect legally if they weren’t properly elected, according to Arabambi who referenced sections 136 and 146 of the constitution. Obi’s concerns aren’t supported by the law. Refusing to swear in Tinubu as President would cause a legal vacuum. Despite pending petitions against him, even Peter Obi benefited from being sworn into office in the past. Law requires swearing in Tinubu as president; any attempt to change this means changing the law.
