Callistus Okafor, a former Deputy Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), has requested the Supreme Court to appoint him the party's substantive chair. In an interview with media, Okafor made the startling revelation and added that Julius Abure and Lamidi Apapa are both "fake" chairmen.
He said that because Apapa, the acting chair, “emergence would have been better if there was no consent judgment†he could not have done so legally. With the consent ruling, Abure is now an unauthorized chairman of the LP, he continued.
“I am the only acting national chairman of the Labour Party. Every other person parading himself as such is fake. Lamidi Apapa and Abure are both fakeâ€.“Let everybody know that I have approached the Supreme Court of Nigeria on Thursday, May 18 and prayed the apex court to declare Abure’s LP chairmanship claims, illegal.
“I have drawn the attention of the court to the fact that the acting secretary of the LP, based on the party’s constitution, cannot emerge as the Chairman.“I have also asked the supreme court to declare null and void and of no effect, whatever Abure has done in his so-called capacity as the chairman of the LP.“I specifically drew the attention of the honourable justices of the apex court to the fact that Abure has conducted an illegal convention and primaries for LP which he has no legal power to do.
“I have also asked the court to recognise my party’s membership list because the list is with me and could be verified.â€LP which emerged as the third force in the build-up to the 2023 elections after a former Anambra state governor, Peter Obi picked the presidential ticket has been enmeshed in a leadership turmoil.The crisis began when Apapa, deputy national chairman of the party (south), declared himself the acting national chairman following the sack of Julius Abure by a court.
A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) high court issued an order prohibiting Abure from posing as the national chairman of the LP in April. The LP had claimed that Apapa, along with Akingbade, the national legal adviser, Gbenga Daramola, the national financial secretary, Anselem Eragbe, the national youth leader, and Abayomi Arabambi, the national publicity secretary, had been suspended due to "anti-party activities."
According to party chieftains, including Obi, there is no crisis within the organization and Abure would continue to serve as chairman.