Tribunal: Drama as Apapa, Labour Party officials argue in court

At the Appeal Court on Wednesday, the acting chairman of the Labour Party, Lamidi Apapa, and the Director General of Peter Obi’s presidential campaign council, Akin Osuntokun, got into a heated argument with each other.

In videos that went viral, Apapa and Osuntokun were seen arguing with one another about who should sit where at the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPT) in Abuja.

Apapa received a court ruling as acting chairman of the Labour Party last week, pending the determination of the party’s leadership lawsuit by a federal high court. The Labour Party has been embroiled in a struggle for the party’s leadership for quite some time.

Apapa had instructed the party’s attorneys who were appearing before the Election Tribunal to report to him as soon as the ruling was announced.

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On Friday, Apapa issued this directive while also stating that he is now in charge of the Labour Party. On the same day, a court affirmed his position as the acting chairman of the party. Apapa said that he is now in charge of the Labour Party.

In addition, he ordered the legal representatives of the party who were participating in the presidential election tribunal to meet with him and brief him within the next two days.

“I am so happy that justice has been served today because under normal circumstances, we will begin to doubt, but today, we are happy that the judge has acted broadly and reasonably,” Apapa said. “I am so happy that justice has been served today because under normal circumstances, we will begin to doubt.”

“There is no question in anyone’s mind that I am now in charge. The legitimacy of my claim to assume leadership responsibilities until the court issues a new order has just been established by the judge presiding over the case.

“As of today, I have assumed the role of acting chairman of the party, and anyone who parades himself in that role other than myself is engaging in activity that is contrary to the law.

“I want to use this opportunity once again to tell everyone in the entire world that the tribunal that is currently taking place, I want to invite all of the lawyers that are representing the Labour Party, that they should come for briefing,” he said. “I want to use this opportunity to tell the whole world that the tribunal that is currently taking place.”

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“Within the next two days, they should come to me and give me an update about what is happening in that tribunal because, at this point in time, I am the person who is in control of the situation.”

On April 5, a high court in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) issued an order prohibiting Julius Abure from representing himself as the national chairman of the Liberal Party.