The Bashiru Lamidi Apapa-led faction of the Labour Party has berated its presidential candidate at the just concluded elections, Peter Obi over calls that the President-elect, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, should not be sworn in on May 29, 2023.
The National Publicity Secretary of the Lamidi Apapa-led LP faction, Abayomi Arabambi, warned that such statements are likely to set the country on fire. He spoke while fielding questions from journalists in Bauchi state after the FCT High Court re-affirmed Lamidi Apapa as Acting National Chairman of the party in the wake of the leadership crisis rocking the party.
According to him, “You cannot plunge Nigeria into war and say that you want to rule the country. We in the Labour Party (LP) are saying no to that. We don’t understand the call by Peter Obi that the President-elect should not be sworn in on May 29th. As far as we are concerned, the LP came third in that election behind the PDP.”
Abayomi Arabambi who wondered why the LP is not challenging the PDP that came second in the presidential election said: “The irony is that today, the LP is not challenging the PDP that came second, that means that we are saying that the votes allocated to PDP is correct in the eyes of the law, but, the PDP that Peter Obi is defending is challenging the validity of the election that brought Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the President-elect.”
The LP faction also called on the Nigerian Military, Inspector General of Police (IGP), Alkali Baba, and the DSS to immediately arrest anyone, including the presidential candidate if they are found wanting of agitating for an interim government. Abayomi Arabambi further warned that if the party’s legal team at the election petition Tribunal in Abuja failed to meet Lamidi Apapa in his capacity as the National Chairman and brief him on the legal proceedings within 48 hours, the faction would appoint new Lawyers to take over Labour party’s case at the tribunal.
This is as he took a swipe at those calling for interim administration where there is a President-elect. He said “They are not true ‘Obedients’ but ‘Obidiots’ because nobody who is a genuine Nigerian will want to see the country plunged into crisis.”
The Nation
