Comrade Lamidi Apapa, former Deputy National Chairman of the Labour Party, has restated his claim to the leadership of the opposition party, insisting that he is the legitimate acting national chairman following the recent Supreme Court judgment that, according to him, invalidated Julius Abure’s chairmanship. In an interview, Apapa disclosed that his prolonged absence from the political scene was a strategic withdrawal to avoid contempt of court as his leadership tussle with Abure played out in the judiciary. He argued that the apex court’s declaration that the party crisis was an internal affair strips both Abure and the newly formed caretaker committee led by Nenadi Usman of any legal backing, thereby leaving the constitutional provision for a deputy to assume leadership.
Apapa pointed to Article 14 (2)(A and B) of the Labour Party constitution, which provides that in the absence or incapacitation of the national chairman, the deputy is to step in. He likened the situation to a driver collapsing while on duty, stating that the next most capable person must take the wheel. He accused Peter Obi and Abia State Governor Alex Otti of orchestrating the Nenadi Usman caretaker committee as a means to hijack the party after the fall of Abure. According to him, neither Obi nor Otti can resolve the crisis since they have already taken sides. He said that their approach undermines the constitution, which remains the only neutral guide the party should follow.
He expressed dissatisfaction with the role of the Nigeria Labour Congress, which he said originally supported Abure and later aligned with the Obi-led faction. Apapa argued that although the NLC contributed to the formation of the party, it does not have ownership rights over it and cannot take unilateral decisions such as the planned occupation of LP secretariats nationwide. He likened the NLC’s position to that of a parent who claims ownership of a child’s property despite legal documentation stating otherwise. Apapa, who is a former state chairman of the NLC in Oyo State and a member of NUPENG, insisted that the NLC has overstepped its bounds.
Regarding the role of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Apapa maintained that INEC is only an observer and not an arbiter in the ongoing leadership crisis. He noted that INEC has received all documentation of his legal battles with Abure over the past two years and cannot claim ignorance of the situation. Apapa warned that if INEC recognises a faction not backed by the party constitution, the crisis could escalate and return to court. He called for honesty and adherence to the truth, insisting that if earlier concerns raised against Abure had been addressed, the party would not be in its current turmoil.
