Candidates I Didn’t Endorse Can’t Contest Any Election – Apapa

Candidates I Didn’t Endorse Can’t Contest Any Election – Apapa

Lamidi Apapa, the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), declared that only candidates endorsed by his faction would be eligible to participate in the forthcoming governorship elections scheduled for November 11 in Kogi, Bayelsa, and Imo states.

During a press conference held on Thursday in Abuja, Apapa emphasized that the recent Court of Appeal ruling in Owerri had affirmed his position as the legitimate National Chairman of the party.

The court invalidated the leadership of the Julius Abure-led faction and directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognize the governorship candidates presented by Apapa’s faction for the election.

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Apapa recounted the sequence of events, stating, “On April 5, the FCT High Court restrained Abure and others from presenting themselves as national officers of the party. Consequently, the party appointed the Deputy National Chairman, Alhaji Lamidi Apapa, as the acting national chairman in line with the party’s constitution.”

“Following this, our faction informed INEC about the change in the date of our primary election, which Abure had originally scheduled for April 15. Despite being under a restraining order, Abure proceeded with his primaries for Imo, Kogi, and Bayelsa on those dates.”

Apapa explained that his faction conducted their primaries on April 16, resulting in two sets of primaries conducted by the LP in those states.

“In response to our primaries, a candidate who participated in Abure’s primaries took legal action, asserting that Abure’s candidates were the valid ones. This case was contested rigorously, and the Federal High Court in Owerri ruled in favor of the primaries conducted by my faction, as Abure was under a restraining order when he screened candidates and organized his primaries.”

Apapa highlighted that the court recognized him as the genuine Chairman of the party and determined that Abure’s actions were in contempt of the restraining order.

“Dissatisfied with the Federal High Court’s judgment, candidates from Abure’s faction, including the winner of his primaries, appealed the decision to the Court of Appeal. The Court of Appeal subsequently upheld the verdict of the Federal High Court, confirming that Abure’s actions were in contempt as he conducted the primaries while under a restraining order.”

Apapa concluded by emphasizing that the restraining order remained in effect even at the time of the Court of Appeal’s judgment.