- I am in Charge, Says Lamidi Apapa
- Deputy Scribe Counters: You Can’t Suspend NWC
By Charles Adingupu
The crisis currently rocking the Labour Party (LP) would not be over anytime soon as the National Working Committee (NWC) at an emergency meeting convened in Asaba, Delta state capital, announced the immediate suspension of the factional National Chairman, Lamidi Apapa for indulging in anti party activities.
But the embattled factional National Chairman in a cross fire with the party’s Deputy National Secretary, Prince Kennedy Ahanotu at the Channel’s TV program, “Politics Today,” declared the NWC suspension placed on him as null and void.
Apapa argued that a subsisting Court injunction that earlier restrained the National Chairman, Julius Abure to stop parading himself as the party Chairman invalidates his suspension as Abure lacks the power to convene NWC meeting.
But the Deputy National Secretary maintained that Apapa’s suspension remains as the due process that led to the convening of the NWC meeting were strictly adhere to.
” The party wrote to INEC one month before the meeting was convened which was the law. The Commission acknowledged receipt of the Letter. Besides, the letter was not signed by Mr Abure. All the 36 State Chairmen were present,” Ahanotu said.
Apapa argued that those clamouring for his expulsion from the party lack a Sense of history as he remains one of the foundation member of the party.
He dismissed insinuations that he was being sponsored by the opposition to cause crisis in the party.
Ahanotu posited that the internal disagreement plaguing the national leadership of the party was a sponsored attempt by opposition parties to hijack the LP.
It would be recalled that the LP presidential candidate, Peter Obi at the end of the NWC meeting in Asaba, stated that some party members were sponsored to cause crisis in the party.
Prior to the NWC meeting, the party’s NEC had announced the suspension of the factional National Chairman, Lamidi Apapa for anti party activities, contravening the constitution of the party and running a parallel leadership, thereby putting the party in total disrepute. Five members of the Executive Council were also suspended.
