The leadership tussle in the Labour Party (LP) took a dramatic turn on Wednesday as a faction of the party resisted journalists from interviewing Lamidi Apapa, the leader of the opposing group. The attempt by journalists to speak to Apapa was met with resistance, as party members chanted and shouted invectives at him.
The situation soon became chaotic and unruly, with the police forced to intervene to calm the determined protestors who were blocking Apapa from leaving the premises. The fracas occurred after the Presidential Election Petition court recognized only the 1st petitioner, Peter Obi, and refused to acknowledge any representative of the Labour Party in court.
Before the proceedings began, factions of the LP could be seen outside the court premises, engaging in a war of words over which group is the authentic one. Apapa’s faction questioned why members of the party loyal to Julius Abure were at the court, maintaining that the High Court of the FCT had suspended Abure’s group.
It could be recalled that the Federal High Court, Abuja, suspended Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party over allegations of forgery of documents, including court documents. Since then, Lamidi Apapa has taken over the reins of leadership, but there has been a crisis in the party ever since.
The clash between the LP factions highlights the need for a resolution to the longstanding leadership crisis within the party. It is crucial that the party leadership and its members find a way to reconcile and put an end to the divisive leadership struggle.
In conclusion, it is important that the Labour Party resolves its issues and presents a united front to compete with other political parties in the country. The national convention ought to be held as soon as possible to elect the national executives of the party and put an end to the current crisis.
