The Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Bashiru Lamidi Apapa, has granted the attorneys defending the party in the presidential election petitions tribunal 48 hours to provide him with an update on the situation.
The Federal High Court in Abuja had just decided in Apapa’s favour as the acting national chairman of the party when he issued the ultimatum on Friday.
The Federal High Court barred Julius Abure from posing as the party chairman last month.
Apapa, the national vice chairman for the southern region, was appointed the party’s acting chairman when Abure was suspended.
The Abure faction of the party has, however, kicked against the announcement as they insisted that Abure was still the chairman.
In a video shared on Twitter on Friday, Apapa said;
I am so pleased that justice has taken place today. There is no doubt that I am now in charge. It has now been confirmed by the court that I have the right to be in charge until another order takes place.
As of today, I am the acting national chairman of the party, and any other person that parades himself as the chairman is doing so illegally.
I want to invite all the lawyers that are in charge, representing Labour Party at the election tribunal, to give me updates in the next 48 hours because I am the one in charge and the one in the driver’s seat.
Reacting to this, Obiora Ifoh, acting national publicity secretary of the party and Abure’s loyalist, said the court’s ruling would be appealed.
He said;
The court has fixed Friday, May 19, for the continuation of the matter. I can assure the teeming supporters of LP that we will appeal this ruling. It is not a judgement because we know we will never get justice from this court.
