By Charles Adingupu
Another scene was added to the current drama playing out at the Labour Party as the Kaduna State chapter on Saturday dissociated itself from the Lamidi Apapa-faction.
In the same vain, the party also announced the suspension of three bigwigs for engaging in anti-party activity.
Rising from a State Executive Council emergency meeting in Kaduna, the party listed the suspended members to include the party deputy governorship candidate in the last poll, Hon Bashir Idris Aliyu, its senatorial candidate, Michael Ayuba Auta, and another chieftain, Ibrahim Sidi Bamali.
An eight-point communique issued after the SEC meeting by the party’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Yusuf Idris, disclosed that those suspended, attended the Bauchi National Executive Council meeting of the Mr. Lamidi Apapa led factional of the party.
The Spokesman said the party’s decision to suspend the chieftains will be forwarded to the National Working Committee of the Labour Party and other relevant bodies for further action.
Mr. Yusuf, however, added that the members of the party affirmed their loyalty to the state chairman, Hon. Auwal Tafoki, urging the public to disregard anyone posing as the chairman in the state.
The communique reads in part: “Following the sudden emergence of a renegade group in the Labour Party led by one Lamidi Apapa, our great party is being assaulted by agents of destabilisation and commotion.
“The intention is to create parallel structures at the National level and all over the states to lend support to the dirty agenda of scuttling the mandate of Mr Peter Obi and Dr Datti Baba-Ahmed in the 2023 Presidential elections.
“Therefore, we the State Executive Council of the Labour Party in Kaduna state, having met today, have unequivocally resolved as follows;
“That we totally dissociate ourselves from the illegal and counterfeit group of the Labour Party led by Lamidi Apapa.
“We hereby affirm and assert our loyalty, support and commitment to the Labour Party and the National Working Committee of our great party led by our lawfully recognised National Chairman, Julius Abure.
“Consequent upon the above, all appointments and decisions made by the Apapa group on behalf of our great Party remain null and void.”
“It added, “For the records, the Chairman of the Labour Party in Kaduna State remains Auwal Tafoki. Any other person parading himself in the above position is blatantly committing impersonation and may face the wrath of the law.
“All identified card-carrying members of the Labour Party who were part of the so-called NEC meeting that took place in Bauchi, Bauchi state, Wednesday, 3rd, May 2022 hereby stand suspended from the party.
“Among those identified and affected by this decision are the following: Bashir Idris Aliyu, Ibrahim Sidi Bamali, and Michael Ayuba Auta.
“We call on our members and the general public to disregard anyone or group parading him or themselves as State officials of the Labour Party in Kaduna State outside the duly constituted and recognised state Exco led by Auwal Tafoki.
“We, therefore, call on all our members and teeming supporters to remain calm and law-abiding even in the face of the unwarranted provocation by divisive agents,” the communique stated.
Earlier, the party’s governorship candidate in the state, Mr. Jonathan Asake, noted that the current crisis rocking the party was aimed at scuttling the mandate of Peter Obi and Datti Baba-Ahmed in the 2023 Presidential election.
Mr. Asake stated that sudden emergence of a renegade group in the Labour Party led by one Lamidi Apapa, our great party is being assaulted by agents of destabilisation and commotion.
