The leadership crisis rocking the Labour Party (LP) took a new twist yesterday when the National Executive Council (NEC) of the party loyal to the embattled national chairman, Julius Abure, suspended the national deputy chairman, Alhaji Lamidi Apapa, and five others over anti-party activities.
The suspension is contained in the communique of the LP-NEC, which met in Asaba, Delta State, on Tuesday and signed by deputy national chairman, Comrade Ladi lliya, and deputy national secretary, Prince Kennedy Ahanotu.
The NEC in session also said in line with its powers, it proceeded to fill the following vacant positions of national youth leader with Prince Kennedy Ahanotu; Ag national publicity secretary, Mr Obiora Ifoh; Ag national legal adviser, Barr Edun Kehinde; Ag deputy national secretary, Chief Rotimi Kehinde; Ag national vice chairman (S/S), Chief Anthony Ezeagwu.
According to the communique, the NEC meeting was attended by members of the National Working Committee, state chairmen, state secretaries, presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, LP National Assembly members-elect, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) representatives, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC).
“NEC in session examined the anti-party activities of some of its members and reaffirmed and upheld the decision of the Akure convention which expelled Comrade Arabambi Abayomi from the party.
“NEC suspended the following National Working Committee (NWC) members: Lamidi Apapa, Alhaji Salem Lawal, Prince Favour Reuben, Gbenga Daramola, Samuel Akingbade and Mohammed Akali,” the communique said.
The meeting also constituted a five-man disciplinary committee including Ladi Illiya, Rotimi Adekunle, Prince Kennedy Ahanotu, Yunusa Tanko and Chief Tony Ezeagwu.
Daily Trust reports that a high court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Monday refused a request to vacate its interim order restraining the national chairman of the LP, Julius Abure, and three others from further parading themselves as the national officers.
Justice Hamza Muazu, in a ruling, rejected the request by the lawyer to Abure and others, Alex Ejesieme (SAN), for the vacation of the order made on April 5, which restrained the embattled chairman, the national secretary, Umar Farouk Ibrahim; the national treasurer, Oluchi Opara; and the national organising secretary, Clement Ojukwu.
The Tuesday’s LP-NEC meeting, which reposes confidence in Abure-led NWC also said it extended the tenure of the current NWC for 12 months, which is in line with LP’s constitution in article 13 (2) (B) IX.
Apapa-led faction dissolves Obi’s campaign council
However, in a swift reaction, the Apapa-led faction also suspended five NWC members loyal to Abure and dissolved Mr Peter Obi’s presidential candidate campaign council.
A member of the Apapa-led faction, Dr Abayomi Arabambi, who was expelled by the Abure faction, said: “Following the anti-party activities and disobedience to court order of the FCT High Court through the illegal suspension and expulsion of NWC members under the leadership of Alhaji Bashiru Lamidi Apapa, the NWC members meet Tuesday after receiving information and letter purportedly signed by the restrained former national chairman, Julius Abure, and former national secretary inviting elected members of National Assembly to observe their illegal NEC meeting of our party.
“By this rascality exhibited, the NWC of our party led by Alhaji Lamidi Apapa hereby suspend the following officers with immediate effects: Ladi Iliya, deputy national chairman, NLC; Ayo Olorunfemi, deputy national chairman, TUC; Kennedy Chigozie Ahanotu, deputy national secretary; Dudu Manuga, national women leader; and Innocent Okeke, national vice chairman, South East.
“The party also frowns at the gross misconduct of Mr Peter Obi who is vigorously pursuing ethnic cleansing as his mission was to amputate LP structure so that he and his ethnic loyalists can take over the party and fix his wife as the new national women leader of the party.
“Finally, the National Working Committee of our party hereby dissolved the presidential campaign council with immediate effect.”
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