Apapa faction knocks, pardons Obi, Datti for attending Asaba NEC meeting

• Says they acted ignorantly, suspends Okonkwo, 11 others
• I’m surprised Obi denied me, says Apapa

The Lamidi Apapa faction of Labour Party (LP) has accused its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and running-mate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, of attending an illegal National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, organised by the Julius Abure-led faction, last month, in Asaba, Delta State.

The Apapa faction, during its NEC meeting in Bauchi on Wednesday, however, said it had pardon both Obi and Datti for the infraction.

According to a communique made available to The Guardian, yesterday, party members, who were also pardoned for attending the meeting of the Abure-led faction, included: the governor-elect of Abia State, Alex Otti, and all senators and state Assembly members elected on the platform of the LP.

The 19-point communique, jointly signed by Acting National Chairman of the party, Bashiru Lamidi Apapa, and Acting National Secretary, Saleh Lawan, but read by Arabambi Abayomi (National Publicity Secretary) said Obi, Datti and other members, who participated in the Asaba meeting, acted ignorantly.

The Apapa-led faction, however, suspended 12 members, including Acting National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Obiora Ifo, and one of the spokespersons for the Presidential Campaign Council, Kenneth Okonkwo.

According to the communique, they were “suspended for alleged anti-party activities and unruly behaviour against the Bashiru Lamidi Apapa led-Labour Party leadership, which include issuing a statement without the authority of the party.”

The factional leadership expressed confidence in the rule of law, saying it will stand with Obi to reclaim his “stolen mandate” at the presidential election petition tribunal.

The NEC meeting also expressed sympathy for Nigerians suffering from poverty, hunger, unemployment, insecurity, poor infrastructure, and underdevelopment caused by leadership incompetence.

Meanwhile, during the meeting, Apapa expressed surprise that the presidential candidate of the party does not know him.

Recall that Obi had openly acknowledged Abure as chairman of the party.

But Apapa claimed he had been in the party since 2001, became the state Chairman in Osun for 10 years, Deputy President (South West) and was Deputy National Chairman before being ratified by the National Working Committee (NWC) as Acting Chairman of LP.

He also denied being a stooge of the President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

According to Apapa, his emergence as Acting Chairman was to rescue the party from being destroyed by the Abure-led faction.

He also denied widespread speculation that his leadership was scheming to withdraw the suit filed by the party, challenging the outcome of the presidential election that announced the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate as winner.