….Says Apapa misinforming Nigerians
The embattled National Chairman of Labour Party (LP) Julius Abure, has denied the claims by the suspended National Vice Chairman Lamidi Apapa, that he (Abure) was suspended from office by the Abuja High Court hearing the leadership crisis in the party.
Abure in a statement on Saturday explained that the court merely assumed jurisdiction of the matter before it, and wondered why Apapa could misinterpret it to mean his suspension as National Chairman.
“I need to make it abundantly clear that the substantive matter has not even started,” Abure stated, adding that he already submitted “notice of appeal to the court and we are moving all the matters from that court and taking it to the Court of Appeal.”
He maintained that the High Court does not have jurisdiction over the matter, as was decided by the Supreme Court in the case of Sulieman v APC.
“The lower court however never suspended me in its ruling. This is why I was surprised to read from the social media the jaundiced interpretation offered to the media by Apapa after he addressed the newsmen.
“His address simply showed that time is running out fast on them and that they are in a hurry to achieve their target set by their paymasters.
“Is it not laughable that he will be giving ultimatum to the counsel to Labour Party and our presidential candidate, Peter Obi to within 48 hours to surrender themselves to him?
“He was obviously asleep when the ruling was ongoing or that he does not understand the difference between a court ruling and a judgement. He needs to be schooled on some of these legal terminologies.”
Abure alleged that Apapa is planning to detail another lawyer procured by his paymasters in the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Labour Party before the tribunal on the next adjourned sitting on May 17.
“Apapa also will appear as representing the party on same date at the court. This actions are geared towards creating the impression of a factionalised party.
“We are calling on the police and DSS to prevent the planned desecration of the court by these paid agents,” he said.
According to him, the tweet by Tinubu’s special adviser on media Bayo Onanuga on Friday, hailing the purported emergence of Apapa, exposed the All Progressives Congress (APC) as sponsors of the crisis in LP.
He quoted Onanuga as referring to Apapa as the man who controls Labour Party affairs, stating that the order by the FCT High Court “will send chills down the spines of Obi and his lawyers as Apapa wants all cases withdrawn. Interesting times.”
Abure told “Onanuga and his co-jesters that their celebration will soon be cut short and their laughter will soon turn to weeping.
“Let me at this juncture tell the likes of Apapa, Onanuga and their cohorts that Labour party is a democratic institution and you don’t use coup d’ tat to grab leadership; you don’t use the back door to take over the leadership of the party. That is what Apapa and co tried to do.”
