Acting National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, Obiora Ifoh has kicked against the invite from the factional leader and acting Chairman of the party, Lamidi Apapa to the Presidential candidate, Peter Obi and others to honour its National Executive Council meeting.
Gatekeepers News reports that Apapa’s invite was also extended to the Governor-elect of Abia State, Alex Otti; senators-elect and Reps-elect; national and state assemblies’ candidates and all National Working Committee and National Executive Committee members of the party.
Apapa’s invitation reads, “You are hereby invited to the main National Executive Council, NEC Meeting of the Labour Party, LP coming up on the 3rd May 2023 at Bauchi, in Bauchi state.
“This is as a result of the 5th April 2023 FCT High Court Order restraining Julius Abure and four (4) others from parading themselves as officers of the labour party, LP.
“In compliance with the constitution of the party and the court order, we shall be having the validly convened NEC as stipulated above. Your presence is highly important,” the letter added.
The NEC meeting, scheduled to be held in Bauchi State, is coming on the heel of a similar one held by the Julius Abure-led leadership in Abuja on April 18.
Gatekeepers News reports that Apapa and Alhaji Saleh Lawal (Deputy Secretary); Rawland Daramola (Financial Secretary); Prince Reuben Favour (Vice Chairman, South-South); Samuel Akingbade (Legal Adviser) and Mohammed Akali (Vice Chairman, North-East) were suspended at the same NEC meeting for alleged anti-party.
The NEC also upheld the decision of the Akure convention, which expelled the National Publicity Secretary, Abayomi Arabambi.
Reacting to the development, Ifoh kicked against the invitation, describing it as “unauthorised and illegal”, urging urged Obi, party supporters and trustees to ignore it.
According to Ifohcm, it was mischievous of Apapa to send an invite to LP presidential candidate and other lawmakers elect calling for another council meeting.
He said, “It has come to the notice of the leadership of the Labour Party of a proposed illegal, fake and unauthorised National Executive Council meeting organised by the suspended Deputy National Chairman, Lamidi Apapa and his renegade cohorts, expected to hold May 3 in Bauchi State.
“These are people that are surreptitiously working to terminate their cases in the various tribunals. We concluded that the temerity to even invite these leaders was purely for publicity ops and stunts which they knew were dead on arrival.
“It is only mischievous minds that will want to obey the FCT High Court order without also respecting the Edo state High Court order which bars any party agents including these renegades from tampering with the status quo even when they know that both courts are of equal and coordinate jurisdiction.
“Article 13:2A of our party constitution is clear on the composition of the Labour Party NEC, and it did not state that expelled and suspended officers of the party shall regroup and convene a NEC of the party. The question is; who are they hoping to attend the NEC, if not their usual customers; touts, market women, street hawkers and people who are not members of the party.”
