LP Crisis: I Have Not Withdrawn Obi’s Petitions From Tribunal

Factional leader of the Labour Party, Lamidi Apapa, has said that contrary to reports making the rounds, he has not approached the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal to withdraw the petition, filed by the party’s Presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

Apapa’s position on the rather controversial issue was disclosed by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Labour Party, loyal to him.

In a statement put out by the faction’s Publicity Secretary, Abayomi Arabambi, to address the matter, Apapa said the publication accusing him of taking such a step against the party is one laced with deliberate falsehood, an “epistle of personal bitterness, ignorance and complete unintelligent outburst.”

On Tuesday, a faction of the embattled chairman of the LP, Julius Abure, raised an alarm that Apapa and his team had gone to the tribunal in Abuja to withdraw Obi’s petition challenging the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu.

In reaction, Apapa said Abure has been restrained by the Abuja High Court “over confirmed allegations of forgery of Court seal” and others, saying it is not new that he could engage in “cheap blackmail to gain public sympathy in order to cover up his criminal tracks.”

Apapa challenged Abure to produce a copy of the letter which he or the Secretary signed to seek the withdrawal of the petition at the tribunal, adding that he and his team would not be intimidated by “these wicked lies”.