‘We’re not responsible for your travails’ — APC replies embattled LP chair Abure

The All Progressive Congress (APC)  has described the claim that it was behind the leadership crisis rocking the opposition Labour Party (LP), as untrue.

On Thursday, Lamidi Apapa, deputy national chairman of LP (south), declared that he has taken charge of the affairs of the party.

The declaration came a few hours after Julius Abure, national chairman of the LP, alleged that thugs aided by police officers invaded the party’s headquarters in the federal capital territory (FCT) and caused damage to the property.

Abure claimed that the invasion was sponsored by the APC to destabilise the party and its challenge of the presidential election won by Bola Tinubu.

Reacting to the allegation in a statement on Saturday, Felix Morka, the national publicity secretary of APC, described the claim as “LP’s morbid obsession” with his party.

He condemned Abure’s accusation as “unfathomable and infantile” and told the LP national chairman to face the travails of his party without blaming it on the APC.

“With legs deep in quicksand, the embattled national chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Julius Abure, clawing desperately in search of firmer ground, baselessly blames the All Progressives Congress (APC) for his sinking and dysfunctional party,” the statement reads.

“In his irrational outburst, Mr Abure accused the APC of colluding with police and other security agencies to invade and seize LP’s national secretariat and staging a crisis in that party.

“Total vindication of APC of any involvement in LP’s imbroglio was swiftly and categorically delivered by Mr. Abure’s successor and acting national chairman of LP, Mr Lamidi Apapa, who exonerated our great party of any interference in the party’s raging internal crisis.

“He clarified that the reported situation at the LP headquarters was a result of a legal process arising from the orders of a federal capital territory high court that barred Mr Abure and other national officers of the party from parading themselves as such.

“The LP’s morbid obsession with APC is unfathomable and infantile, blaming APC for all its internal woes. Mr Abure’s bogus claim follows Mr Peter Obi’s unsubstantiated and vexatious claim that he was being hounded into exile by our party.

“To be clear, APC is not responsible for Mr Abure’s travails.

“While the LP continues to grapple with its myriad woes and crying wolf where none exists, the APC will stay focused and committed to forming a new government to be led by the visionary president-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as he drives the renewed hope agenda, and consolidate on the many gains of the out-going President Buhari-administration.”

BACKGROUND

On Wednesday, a federal capital territory (FCT) high court issued an order restraining Abure from parading himself as LP’s national chairman.

Hamza Muazu, presiding judge, also extended the order to Farouk Ibrahim, national secretary, Clement Ojukwu, national organising secretary, and Oluchi Opara, treasurer, from parading themselves as national officers of the party.

The decision created a leadership crisis in LP which culminated in Apapa declaring himself as the new party leader.

Meanwhile, state chairpersons of the party took control of the national secretariat on Saturday and restored Abure as the recognised leader.