*Denies receiving N500m from Tinubu
The factional National Chairman of the crisis-ridden Labour Party, Alhaji Basiru Lamidi Apapa, has asked the Presidential Candidate of the party in the last election, Mr Peter Gregory Obi to objectively intervene and resolve the heating crisis.
The embattled Apapa also denied the allegation of receiving the sum of N500 million from the All Progressive Congress to unsettle the party.
In a media briefing after his attack at the Presidential Election Petition Court on Wednesday, Apapa demanded that Obi must be unbiased in order to get the disputed chairmanship tussle resolved.
He insisted that what happened at the Presidential court in which fracas broke out in the presence of Peter Obi, was disgraceful and a test to Obi’s leadership quality.
Apapa said that the leadership crisis would have been put behind them if the presidential candidate had respected the order of the Federal Capital Territory High Court which ordered Julius Abure and three others from parading themselves as National Officers of the party over their indictment for forgery and Perjury.
Tracing the genesis of the leadership crisis, Apapa said that immediately after the order of court was served on the party, he was unanimously selected in acting capacity as the National Chairman of the party.
Further in his speech, he said that it was wrong of Obi to accord respect to Abure in-spite of the order of the court and as a presidential candidate seeking Justice from the same court of law.
On the alleged receipt of 500 million Naira from external forces to destabilize the party, Apapa vehemently denied receiving any money or being influenced by anybody or any group to work against the party.
He also said that it was wrong of Peter Obi to have claimed not to know him, adding that he worked closely with and even travelled on the same flight with Peter Obi throughout his Presidential electioneering campaign.
He therefore, appealed to Obi to be open-minded, neutral, and objective so as to be able to resolve the crisis.
Also speaking at the briefing the deputy National Chairman of the Party in the North Mike Ayuba Auta denied that the all Progressive Congress was behind the crisis adding that the allegation was baseless and unfounded.
Auta apologized to Nigerians who he said gave Labour Party over 6 million votes during the last presidential election, adding that that should not be discouraged by the current leadership crisis and assured that the dispute will soon be resolved.
Meanwhile, the Court has adjourned till Friday, May 19, the pre-hearing of the petition filed by Peter Obi against the President-elect, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The court, led by Justice Haruna Tsamani, fixed the date, following the failure of parties to agree on documents, among other reasons.
