The factional Chairman of the Labour Party, LP, Lamidi Apapa, says he is the most constitutionally qualified person to lead the party amid its leadership tussle.
Apapa stated this while speaking on News Night, a programme on ARISE TV, on Thursday, citing Article 14 of the party’s constitution as the basis for his position.
He declared that he assumed the LP leadership position after the supreme court’s certified true copy was released.
The self-declared chair stated that the apex court judgment puts him in pole position to replace Abure, as he is the most senior national deputy chairman of the party.
According to him, the constitution allows the deputy national chairman to take over if the national chairman is unable to discharge his duties.
“If the national chairman of the party, for whatever reasons at all, is unable to perform his role as a chairman, the deputy chairman of the party takes over.
“It’s automatic. I don’t have to derive authority from anybody because the constitution has allowed me to do that. That is the function of a deputy national chairman,” he said.
Apapa said he is the most senior among all the deputy national chairman, and therefore next in line to Julius Abure.
“Unfortunately, among all the deputy national chairman, I happen to be the oldest,” he said.
Media Talk Africa reports that the LP has been embroiled in a leadership crisis, with Abure and his allies on one hand, and the caretaker committee led by Nenadi Usman on the other.
The Usman committee is reportedly supported by Peter Obi, the party’s ex-presidential candidate, and Alex Otti, governor of Abia.
The Supreme Court last week ruled that the court of appeal lacked the jurisdiction to pronounce Abure chairman of the LP.
Since the ruling, there have been various interpretations of the apex court’s pronouncement, with all factions claiming victory.
