May 11, (THEWILL) – The Lamidi Apapa faction of the Labour Party has distanced itself from the calls for an interim government and the agitations that the President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, should not be sworn in on May 29, pending the determination of the petitions before the presidential election tribunal.
The faction, in a press conference addressed on Wednesday, by its National Publicity Secretary, Abayomi Arabambi, called on security agents to arrest the embattled National Chairman of the Party, Julius Abure, and three others including Kenneth Okonkwo, Obiora Ifo and Tanko Yinusa.
It also warned members of the Obidient movement, “who parade themselves as members of the Labour Party,” to rethink their call for an interim government.
The faction further hinted that its Acting National Chairman, Bashiru Lamidi Apapa, will henceforth represent the Labour Party at the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) alongside Peter Obi.
The text of the press statement reads in part: “Following series of agitations and calls for restraining the President-elect from being sworn in on May 29, 2023, Labour Party hereby allayed the fears of Nigerians that the swearing in of the President-elect may not have any impact on the ongoing legal tussle on the presidential election involving our party, APC and INEC
“You will all recall the television interview by a legal luminary, Femi Falana SAN, who explicitly posited the position of the law on the election matters at the tribunal and Labour Party was in agreement because issues have been properly dissected by the legal jurisprudence, who affirmed that the statement credited to Cardinal Onaiyekan may not be visible as the current legal tussle may take more than three months before it could be finally disposed of.
“What Peter Obi is crying for is not supported by the law. Our law provides that where an election is challenged, the winner will be sworn into office and will continue to act in that capacity until the hearing and determination of the petitions challenging the election.
“A refusal to swear in Tinubu as president will create a vacuum in the system, which the law abhors. From President Obasanjo to Yar’Adua to Jonathan to Buhari, this has remained the law and the system. Why should the position change now when the law has not been changed?
“Our law does not provide for an interim president in this circumstance, the only time we had an interim president in Nigeria was Chief Ernest Shonekan, which was a military stunt, and not a constitutional procedure.
“Even Peter Obi has also benefitted from the system of being sworn into office irrespective of pending petitions at the tribunal. Peter Obi was sworn into office as the governor while Andy Uba went to the Tribunal to challenge his election, and no interim governor was sworn in nor was the speaker of the house sworn in as interim governor.
“The Law has to be complied with, which is to swear in Tinubu as president, and if anybody wants to change the narrative, they will have to change the law, but with what we have in our constitution today, their demands are not backed up by any law. It is misconceived and shows a serious ignorance of the law.
“Labour Party warns all Obidents clandestinely parading themselves as LP members and other obidients, who may be agitating that the President-elect should not be sworn in to have a rethink as Labour Party will not support any unlawful means of agitations or change of government violently
“We cannot throw the Baby away with the bath water, the same election brought in Our candidates, who won in the last elections
“Whoever wants to be judgmental must not be selective. Those who come to equity must come with clean hands. How can the election be discredited for a winner but credible for winners among members of the opposition party?
“What we should be working on is how to sincerely review our election process, so we do have a winner, who will be sworn in and whom everybody would rally around.
“The Labour Party will continue to pursue our matters in court with all vigour and whether Tinubu is sworn in or not, the victory will surely come our way.
“The Acting National Chairman, ALh BASHIRU LAMIDI APAPA, will now be representing the Labour Party at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal alongside Peter OBI, thus anyone found to disobey these instructions will be arrested in the premises of the court of appeal.
“Labour Party congratulate the Governor Of OSUN State, SEN ADEMOLA ADELEKE, over his well-deserved victory at the Supreme Court yesterday and all opposition must learn to abide by the decisions of court rather than criticising the judiciary always when court decisions are against opposition political parties
“Labour Party under the siege of political vampires, buccaneers, predators and emergency democrats. Some civilians in military camouflage conspire with an insider in Labour Party to stage a coup d’etat, seize the party with and started promoting ethnic and religious bigotry, by contrasting with federal characters act as amended, these political predators from same sections of the country, same geopolitical zones, suddenly and overnight, turn to emergency democrats that want to join PO to savage our Country.
“We urgently requested for the arrest and prosecution of the following sponsor of destabilizations projects of Nigeria and that the police and DSS need to beam their searchlight on the Headquarters of OBI/DATTI campaign organization in Abuja as this is where these people converge on daily bases to plans how to scuttle and bring an end to democracy.
“JULIUS ABURE, KENNETH OKONKWO, OBIORA IFO, DR TANKO YINUSA
“Labour Party stands with the unity of Nigeria and that we believe no one is above the Law.”
