Lamidi Apapa: LP constitution positions me as national chairman… I’ll serve for six months

Lamidi Apapa, the factional chairman of the Labour Party (LP), says he is the most constitutionally qualified person to lead the party amid its leadership tussle.

Apapa declared on Wednesday that he assumed the LP leadership position after the supreme court’s certified true copy was released.

According to him, the apex court verdict puts him in pole position to replace Abure, as he is the most senior national deputy chairman of the party.

Speaking on News Night, a programme on ARISE TV, on Thursday, Apapa cited Article 14 of the party’s constitution as the basis for his position.

The self-declared chair claimed the constitution allows the deputy national chairman to take over if the national chairman is unable to discharge his duties.

“If the national chairman of the party, for whatever reasons at all, is unable to perform his role as a chairman, the deputy chairman of the party takes over,” he said.

“It’s automatic. I don’t have to derive authority from anybody because the constitution has allowed me to do that. That is the function of a deputy national chairman.”

Apapa said he is the most senior among all the deputy national chairmen, and therefore next in line to Julius Abure.

“Unfortunately, among all the deputy national chairmen, I happen to be the oldest,” he said.

“Among them, on the list of the hierarchy, I’m the next person to Abure.

“On the list of officers, I’m the next person to Abure, which means I am the closest person to him in rank and everything.

“So if he has any problem at all, that warrants him to step aside, I’m the only person who can take over. It is clearly stated here.”

Apapa said his leadership would be transitional and that he has no intention of holding on to power.

He said he would not contest for the substantive chairmanship and plans to hand over after six months.

“I don’t know whether you have seen a copy of my address when I was making the declaration,” he said.

“I said one of the things that I intend to do, that I think should make them believe that I am ready to save the party, in the sense that I’m not prepared to contest for office of the national government.

“And I intend to stay for only six months.

“Thirdly, I intend to zone the national chairman of the party to the north.

“Because the man who died, Alhaji Abdulkadir Abdulsalam, is from the north and he stayed for a few months before he died.

“So that should allow them to produce the next chairman and I’ve made this promise right from the start.”

The LP has been embroiled in a leadership crisis, with Abure and his allies on one hand, and the caretaker committee led by Nenadi Usman on the other.

The Usman committee is supported by Peter Obi, the party’s ex-presidential candidate, and Alex Otti, governor of Abia.

Last week, the supreme court ruled that the court of appeal lacked the jurisdiction to pronounce Abure chairman of the LP.

Since the verdict, there have been various interpretations of the apex court’s pronouncement, with all factions claiming victory.