*Obi’s visit to Imo, contempt of court, says factional chair
Emameh Gabriel in Abuja
The Lamidi Apapa-led faction of Labour Party, yesterday, declared that the ruling of an Appeal Court in Imo State, has validated the status of its governorship candidates for Imo, Bayelsa and Kogi State as the party’s authentic candidates.
This was as he stressed that the judgment has reaffirmed his position as the authentic national chairman of the party.
Apapa also described Peter Obi’s recent visit to Imo State to campaign for Senator Athan as a contempt of subsisting court order.
But in a swift reaction, Julius Abure described the claim as false, saying Apapa’s claim did not reflect the true position of the court, saying the mere comments of the trial judge in the matter was not a judgement and should be discountenanced.
Apapa, factional National Chairman of the Labour Party had at a press briefing in Abuja with some members of his NWC, maintained that Abure was still under suspension when he conducted primary elections in three states, which he said formed the basis for the judgment.
Apapa, who was flanked by the factional National Publicity Secretary of the party, Abayomi Arabambi, other members of his NWC and legal team, said the recent judgement in Edo State that lifted his suspension by members of his ward was “more or less civil matter.
“But, the FCT restraining order has to do with criminal matters and I’ve said it several times about criminal matter, which has to do between the state and Abure and nobody has the right, nobody is above the law. That’s the difference between the civil matter and a criminal criminal matter.
“The order of FCT has not been vacated and that is why on the basis of that the Appeal court reaffirmed that by the time he conducted his primary restraining order was in place and up till today the order is still in force. That’s the difference between the two,” he said.
Asked if there were plans to reconcile with the other faction of the party, Apapa said Obi’s action in Imo was a recipe for more disagreement.
“About reconciliation, we are always ready for reconciliation. But, from the look of things you will also agree with me that the day before yesterday, our principal and Abure went to Owerri despite the court order against them that honorable Ikenga was the right person for Imo State.
“He went ahead and raised up somebody’s hands, somebody that had been asked not to go ahead by the judgment of Imo State tate. Today, it has also been reaffirmed by the Appeal Court. I don’t know what he will do again, whether he will reaffirm that again.
“What I want everybody to know is that nobody’s above the law. Anybody who is above the law should not be in politics, because it’s a creation of law and where you are disobeying the law that provides you the authority, then you are not supposed to lead the people. So, like I said, we are ready for reconciliation but not on our own expense,” he maintained.
But Abure, in his reaction, dismissed the claims by the Apapa led faction of the party, holding that the appeal by the Labour Party was not necessary as the decision of the trial court was in its favour and that mere comments of the trial judge in the matter was not a judgement.
In a statement by the Abure led-NWC, signed by Obiora Ifoh, Abure said he had earlier asked the Court of Appeal to quash the ruling of the trial court in the Federal High Court Owerri and that he informed the court that Senator Athan Achonu won the party’s primaries.
He said: “It is, therefore, important to state that neither the Federal High Court Owerri nor the Court of Appeal Owerri, which sat in Abuja today made any orders in the matter other than for lack of locus standi against the plaintiff (Basil Maduka).
“Consequently, the status quo remains with Senator Athan Achonu as the validly nominated candidate of Labour Party for 2023 Imo governorship election.”
