The Lamidi Apapa-led faction of the Labour Party announced on Monday that its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting is scheduled to hold in Bauchi State on May 3.
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that the purpose of the meeting, according to the faction, is to address the contempt of court orders perpetrated by Julius Abure and others.
The FCT High Court had restrained Abure from parading himself as a National Officer of the Labour Party.
In response to this, the Julius Abure-led faction of the party had described the proposed NEC meeting by Apapa as illegal and unauthorized. According to Obiorah Ifoh, a factional spokesman, Apapa did not have the power to summon a NEC meeting since he had been suspended as Deputy National Chairman.
However, Apapa quickly responded, stating that the NWC of the LP under his watch had invited all the Labour Party stakeholders to the NEC meeting, including the party’s presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, and the Abia State Governor-elect, Alex Otti. He also invited elected state and National Assembly members, NWC & NEC members, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), and others.
Abayomi Arabambi, the faction’s spokesman, recalled that the NWC had given the Inspector-General of Police and Director-General, Department of State Security Service, the go-ahead to arrest and prosecute Obiora Ifoh, who was impersonating as the Acting National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party.
Apapa stressed that the court had restrained Abure and three others from parading themselves as National Officers of the Labour Party LP. He revealed that their restraint followed police investigation and forensic audit report which indicted Abure and others for forgery, perjury, criminal conspiracy, and financial misconduct to the sum of over N400,000,000.00.
Apapa alleged that Abure had deliberately committed contempt against the FCT High Court over the restraining orders issued on April 5, 17 and 20, 2023. Abure had reportedly conducted a Labour Party NEC meeting in Asaba, Delta State on April 18, 2023, and issued illegal appointment letters to states executives, despite the court’s restraining orders.
Apapa labeled the Asaba NEC meeting as illegal and disclosed that warrants of arrest had been procured for the arrest of Julius Abure and others over their indictment for alleged forgery, perjury, and criminal conspiracy.
He spoke further that: “The NWC has declared as illegal, null and void and of no consequence, the charade conducted by Julius Abure and his criminal gang on 15th April, 2023 during the gubernatorial primaries conducted in Bayelsa, Kogi and Imo states in the 2023 off season elections for November, 2023.
“Abure wittingly and surreptitiously tricked Mr. Peter Obi, Governor-elect Alex Otti of Abia State, Senators, members House of Representatives and states Assembly members elected on the platform of the Labour Party 2023 to commit contempt against the FCT High Court Restraining Order on them.
“The authentic National Executive Council, NEC meeting of the Labour Party has been scheduled for 3rd May, 2023 in Bauchi, Bauchi State by the Alhaji Lamidi Bashiru Apapa led National Working Committee, NWC and there is no going back.
“Obiora Ifoh should be disregarded as his press release is useless and of no consequence amounting to the antics of a buffone.
“The Labour Party under the leadership of Alhaji Lamidi Bashiru Apapa shall continue to operate within the limit of the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as it affects the FCT High Court Restraining Order on Julius Abure and others from parading themselves as National Officers of the Labour Party and in accordance with the Labour Party constitution 2019 as amended.
“The Labour Party NWC led by Alhaji Lamidi Bashiru Apapa has committed itself to reclaiming the stolen mandate of Labour Party, using the Election Manager Situation Room Mobile Application to recover all the missing Forms EC8A littered across the polling units in Nigeria for which Julius Abure couldn’t provide over 42,000 polling units Agents for the 2023 presidential and national elections.
“The matter in FCT High Court bothers on criminality of Forgery, perjury and criminal conspiracy against Abure while the matter in Benin High Court bothers on Abure’s suspension from the ward.
“The resolution from the illegal NEC meeting conducted by Julius Abure on 18th April, 2023 in Asaba Delta State is null and void and all those purported suspended and expelled are voided.”
