The factional leader of the Labour Party, Lamidi Apapa, has given the legal counsels to the presidential candidate of the party, Peter Obi a 48 hours ultimatum to brief him on the ongoing presidential election petitions tribunal.
Apapa gave this ultimatum after a parallel meeting of the National Executive Council of the party in Bauchi on Friday.
Apapa’s ultimatum comes hours after the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja ruled in his favour as the acting national chairman of the party.
In his ruling, Justice Hamza Muazu stated that he will go ahead to hear the substantive matter.
However, the matter has been adjourned to Friday, May 19, for further deliberation. Speaking on the ruling in a viral video shared on Twitter, said he was so pleased that justice has taken place.
He said, “There is no doubt that I am now in charge. It has now been confirmed by the court that I have the right to be in charge until another order takes place.
“As of today, I am the acting national chairman of the party and any other person that parades himself as the chairman is doing so illegally.
“I want to invite all the lawyers that are in charge, representing Labour Party at the election tribunal, to give me updates in the next 48 hours because I am the one in charge and the one in the driver’s seat.”
Recall that the court had stopped the embattled chairman, Julius Abure, and three others from parading themselves as executives of the party.
After Abure’s suspension, Apapa who was then the national vice chairman for the South was declared the acting chairman of LP.
Reacting to the report, Acting National Publicity Secretary of the party, Obiora Ifoh, warned that the ruling should not been seen in the light of a substantive judgment by the court.
While saying they will appeal the ruling, he claimed Abure remains the national chairman of Labour Party pending the final determination of the matter.
“Today’s sitting is not for judgment as Apapa’s group is peddling in their usual way of misinforming Nigerians but purely for the purpose of determining the jurisdiction of the court.
“However, we have appealed the ruling immediately because we know we will not get justice from the court,” he said. Vanguard
