On Thursday, the National Working Committee of the Labour Party witnessed a shift in leadership.
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that the Deputy National Chairman of the party (South), Lamidi Apapa, along with other committee members, took charge of the party’s affairs. This move came in response to a court ruling that reportedly prohibited Julius Abure, the National Chairman of the party, along with National Secretary Umar Farouk Ibrahim, National Treasurer Oluchi Opara, and National Organising Secretary Clement Ojukwu, from assuming their positions as national officers of the party.
The court’s decision to remove Abure and his colleagues from their positions stemmed from an alleged forgery, and it came just one week after a ward in the Edo State chapter of the party suspended Abure over claims of anti-party activities. The ward chairman, Martins Osigbemhe stated that Abure’s suspension was enforced by the executive, pending the resolution of various petitions and cases against him in court.
In response to the ruling, Lamidi claimed the position of Acting National Chairman of the party, and Saleh Lawan assumed the role of Acting National Secretary. Lamidi acting as the helmsman, stated that Abure and the three other officers must abide by the court’s decision and step down from their positions before any further action can be taken regarding the leadership of the party.
Who is Lamidi Apapa?
As part of our commitment to providing the public with essential information, POLITICS NIGERIA has conducted research into the background of the current Acting National Chairman of the Labour Party.
Our findings indicate that Lamidi Basiru Apapa is originally from Oyo state. In 2007, he held the position of Chairman of the Oyo State council of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC). As a party whose leadership is composed of Labour personnel in the country, Apapa joined the Labour Party, eventually becoming the Oyo state chairman of the party.
The recent leadership crisis involving Apapa is not his first. In 2014, he was removed from his position as the chairman of the Oyo state chapter of the LP. The decision was made by 54 members of the Oyo State Executive Council (SEC), who attended a special congress convened for the purpose on July 11, 2014.
In 2021, Apapa was promoted to Deputy National Chairman of the party (South) following the death of the then National Chairman, Alhaji Abdulkadir Abdulsalam in 2020. During the leadership reshuffle, Barrister Julius Abure, who has since been removed, was elected National Chairman by the Labour Party National Executive Council (NEC).
Apapa also contested the 2023 Oyo central Senatorial election, leading his party to fourth position.
