MEET FRANK OSHANUGOR
By Frank Oshanugor
The Lagos State chapter of the Labour Party (LP) has called on judges handling petitions at the Presidential Election Tribunal to know that the eyes of the world are looking up on them to discharge the responsibilities of their callings according to the dictates and provision of the extant laws of the land.
The Party has urged the judges not to give in to any form of threats coming their way knowing well enough that destinies of millions of Nigerians are in their hands. “To Nigeria’s Judiciary we say think nation first before self”
Addressing a press conference in Lagos on Wednesday, Labour Party Chairman in the State Pastor (Mrs) Dayo Ekong while urging the judges to be transparent in the discharge of their duties, used the opportunity to
debunk the misconception in some quarters that the Party has factions in Lagos and at the national level.
According to her, “we wish at this juncture to let Nigerians know that there is no faction in our great party, the Labour Party either at the National or State level and flowing from this, there is only one legally constitutionally and recognized National Chairman and Secretary of Labour Party in the persons of Barrister Julius Abure and Mr Umar Farouk respectively. The Constitution of our Party does not know any position of “acting national chairman”.
In furtherance of the foregoing, she said; Mr. Lamidi Bashiru Apapa is not the national chairman neither are his cohorts, members of the national working committee of the Labour Party.
“For sake of clarity, Mr Apapa and his cohorts are suspended members of a national working committee of the Party. They were suspended via a resolution made at the NEC meeting of the Party held at Asaba Delta State on 18th of April 2023. A certified true copy of the NEC report of the said meeting is available for anyone to inspect and verify.
“In view of the above, Mr. Lamidi Apapa and his co-travellers do not have any power or locus to carry out any function as officers of the party both at national and state level.
She added that by an order of Honourable Justice D.O. Osiager in suit No: FHC/L/CS/1277/2023 made on the 17th of July 2023 wherein the said Justice ordered them to maintain status quo ante bellum pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice already filed in the suit. The implication of the order is that the Apapa group cannot do anything whatsoever in the capacity of the officers of the Party until the matter is disposed off. The suit is adjourned to the 9th of October 2023.
The Labour Party Chieftain also told journalists at the conference that the Party was getting ready to field candidate and win the forthcoming bye-election in Surulere Federal Constituency whenever INEC fixes the date for the Bye-Election.
The Party has therefore urged all party faithfuls who are interested in vying for position in the forthcoming election to contact the leadership of the Party in Lagos State headed by Pastor Dayo Ekong for further details.
The Party has also warned that anyone who falls to the fraudsters posing as Labour Party officials would be doing so at his or her own peril.
Meanwhile, the LP Lagos State chapter in alliance with its national body has expressed shock over the hike in price of petroleum motor spirit (PMS) by the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration.
According to the Party, the government takes delight in the suffering of Nigerians instead of making life easy for them. While sympathising with “the masses who bear the heaviest brunt of the obnoxious price hike, the LP assured that its Presidential flag bearer in the February 25, 2023 Mr. Peter Obi will bring succour to Nigerians when his mandate is hopefully recovered.
The Party has totally rejected the eight thousand naira (N8,000) cash transfer to poor families per month for six months announced as palliative to cushion the adverse effect of subsidy removal while the whopping sum of 70 billion naira is dedicated to National Assembly and N35Billion to National Judicial Council.
The Labour Party described this gesture to NASS and NJC as subtle “bribe” to these institutions to cause them to do the biddings of the executive. “As we have said, we urge the Judiciary to resist this bribery and intimidation as they go about discharging their responsibilities of the offices. Let us remind the Judiciary once again that all eyes are on them.
“The survival of the nation lies on how well they handle the matter of election petitions before them.”
