LP suspends Lamidi Apapa over ‘anti-party activities’

The Labour Party (LP) has suspended Lamidi Apapa, its acting national chairman.

Confirming the development to TheCable, Yunusa Tanko, LP presidential campaign spokesperson, said the decision was reached at a meeting of the party’s national executive council (NEC) in Asaba, Delta state, on Tuesday.

He said Apapa was suspended for “anti-party activities, contravening the constitution of the party and running of parallel leadership and putting the party in total disrepute”.

Tanko said the meeting was attended by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), all the state chairmen of the party, and Peter Obi, LP presidential candidate.

Five others were also said to have been suspended including Saleh Lawal, deputy national secretary; Rawland Daramola, national financial secretary; Prince Reuben Favour, national vice-chairman, south-south; Samuel Akingbade, national legal adviser; and Mohammed Akali, national vice-chairman, north-east.

The NEC was also said to have extended the tenure of the present national working committee (NWC) of the party by one year.

A federal capital territory (FCT) high court had issued an order restraining Julius Abure from parading himself as the LP’s national chairman.

Following the order, Apapa, who was the deputy national chairman of the LP (south), declared himself the leader of the party.

Apapa had also said Saleh Lawan is the acting national secretary of the party.

Shortly after, Abure alleged that thugs aided by police officers invaded the party’s secretariat.

He claimed that the invasion was sponsored by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to destabilise the party and its challenge of the presidential election won by Bola Tinubu.

However, Apapa,  said he was not being sponsored to cause a crisis in the party.