Lamidi Apapa, the factional chairman of the Labour Party, has stated that he will honour President-elect Bola Tinubu’s invitation to dialogue.
On Arise TV’s Morning Show on Thursday, Apapa responded to questions about whether he would accept Tinubu’s invitation to reconciliation talks by saying he would meet with the former Lagos State governor if the party approved it.
“Before I honour him, I will consult with the party’s executive, and if they ask me to proceed, I will.” If the executive says go ahead, we’ll take the position.
“It will not be my position.” If they say go see him or we’re going to see him, it becomes the party’s position, not Alhaji Bashiru Lamidi Apapa’s.
“We’ll all go see him together.” “If we have the mandate of the house, we will see him,” the factional chairman stated.
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The Labour Party’s leadership crisis worsened on Wednesday when factions loyal to Apapa and Julius Abure clashed at the Presidential Election Petition Court in Abuja.
Abure’s position as National Chairman of the LP had been suspended by the Federal High Court in Abuja.
However, the tense relationship between the two factions erupted when Apapa was nearly mobbed by disgruntled LP members on the court grounds, but for the quick intervention of police officers, who brought the situation under control.
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The commotion outside the court was caused by the two factions’ battle for recognition.
The different factions of the party engaged in a war of words shortly before the court convened for the resumed proceedings in the pre-hearing of the petition filed by the LP and its presidential candidate against the president-elect, Bola Tinubu.
In response to the attack by disgruntled LP members, Apapa denied taking a bribe from Tinubu.
“The allegation of bribe-taking is false. Bring any evidence you have that I have collected money or that we have collected money from anyone. “It’s completely false,” Apapa stated.
The factional chairman also stated that Peter Obi, the LP presidential candidate in the February 25 presidential election, deserved to be exposed.
“I don’t want to expose Peter Obi for taking sides, but he deserves to be exposed.” In one of his interviews, he (Obi) stated that he does not know me at all.
“I’ve been attempting to shield him, but he does not deserve it.” The reasons are as follows: This is a man, and I led the opening prayer at his primary school in Asaba. And I wasn’t a rookie officer. I was the party’s deputy national chairman. I’ve been a member of this party for 21 years. I’ve worked my way up through the ranks of this party to where I am now.
“Obi’s first campaign began in Benin.” I was with him in Benin. And we flew on his chartered plane from Benin to Abuja. Not only that, but when he came to Ekiti (Afe Babalola University), I was part of the team that hosted him there. We stayed for over two hours. I escorted the group to the palace. And he hasn’t heard of me?”
