Labour Party Crisis Deepens As Ex-Deputy Chair Asks Court To Sack Abure, Apapa

Callistus Okafor, a former deputy leader of the Labour Party (LP), has asked the Supreme Court to recognize him as the party’s legitimate leader.

In an interview with journalists on Friday, Okafor stated that he is still recognized by the LP constitution as the official deputy chairman of the party.

READ ALSO: LP Crisis: High Court Lifts Suspension Order On Abure, Other LP Officers

Lamidi Apapa, the acting chair, could not, according to him, arise in an illegal manner because his “emergence would have been better if there had been no consent judgment.”

Julius Abure is an illegal chairman of an LP as a result of the consent ruling, according to Okafor.

“I am the only acting national chairman of the Labour Party. Every other person parading himself as such is fake. Lamidi Apapa and Abure are both fake,” Okafor said.

“Let everybody know that I have approached the Supreme Court of Nigeria on Thursday, May 18 and prayed the apex court to declare Abure’s LP chairmanship claims, illegal.

“I have drawn the attention of the court to the fact that the acting secretary of the LP, based on the party’s constitution, cannot emerge as the Chairman.

“I have also asked the supreme court to declare null and void and of no effect, whatever Abure has done in his so-called capacity as the chairman of the LP.

“I specifically drew the attention of the honourable justices of the apex court to the fact that Abure has conducted an illegal convention and primaries for LP which he has no legal power to do.

“I have also asked the court to recognise my party’s membership list because the list is with me and could be verified.”

The Labour Party, which gained popularity when former Anambra governor Peter Obi emerged as its presidential candidate, is currently experiencing a leadership crisis as a result of Apapa, the party’s deputy national chairman (south), appointing himself acting national chairman after Julius Abure was fired by a court.

A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) high court issued an order prohibiting Abure from posing as the national chairman of the LP in April.

The LP had claimed that Apapa, along with Akingbade, the national legal adviser, Gbenga Daramola, the national financial secretary, Anselem Eragbe, the national youth leader, and Abayomi Arabambi, the national publicity secretary, had been suspended due to “anti-party activities.”

Meanwhile, chieftains of the party including Obi had said there is no crisis in the party, insisting that Abure remains the chairman.