‘We are all in acting capacity, what we are doing is not an illegality’ – LP acting chairman says as NWC screen guber aspirants
The acting chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Alhaji Lamidi Apapa has reiterated that he and the members of the Party’s National Working Committee are in acting capacity.
Apapa affirmed this position during the media briefing of the screening of governorship aspirants at the Party’s secretariat in Abuja today.
Recall a Federal High Court, on Wednesday 5th April, restrained Julius Abure from parading himself as the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP).
He was restrained alongside three other officials of the party, the National Secretary, Umar Farouk Ibrahim; the National Treasurer, Oluchi Opara; and the National Organising Secretary, Clement Ojukwu, over alleged forgery.
The acting chairman said,
“You all know that by this time last week Bar Julius Abure was sitting on this chair as the chairman of the party.
“You equally know or heard that there was an injunction by a high court in Abuja restraining our former chairman, and three other principal members of the party from parading themselves as the party officials until the case is finally determined.”
“So whatever documents they (Abure and co) sign right from the day of the court injunction remain null and void and whoever that passes through them right from that date is doing that at his own peril.”
He said the party’s constitution has clearly stated that for whatever reason the chairman or whoever of the party is unable to play his role, the next person shall take over in acting capacity.
“Once that has happened, there should be no vacuum in the system.
“Therefore, we are all in acting capacity, that is why nobody has ever mentioned among us that we have become substantive”.
As regards the screening of the governorship aspirants, Alhaji Apapa said what the Committee is doing now is not an illegality.
“What we are doing now is not an illegality. We are working to save the party and those that are contesting under the platform of the labour party.
Four governorship aspirants showed up for the screening against 24 aspirants that were expected to appear before the National Working Committee for screening in Abuja, two both from Imo and Bayelsa States.
“These are the people we have screened so far and we are expecting the rest to appear any moment from now.
They have all done their best. They have convinced us and the committee has screened them and qualified them to run for the primaries that will come up on the 16th of April”, he said.
Under the platform of Labour Party, 13 aspirants from Imo State, 9 from Bayelsa State and 2 from Kogi State, totalling 24 are contesting in the party primaries for governorship election.
