In a courtroom drama at the Presidential Election Petitions Court in Abuja on Wednesday, the names put forward as representatives of the Labour Party were dismissed by the court.
During Wednesday’s proceedings, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, stood up to announce his appearance as the first petitioner. Following him, the Labour Party’s national women leader, Mrs. Dudu Manuga, announced her appearance as the second representative of the party.
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However, while Obi and Manuga were speaking, Lamidi Apapa, the factional chairman of the Labour Party, stood up to identify himself.
Despite not being given a microphone, he declared himself as the chairman of the party and interrupted Manuga, asserting that he was the true representative of the Labour Party.
The five-man panel of the court, led by Justice Haruna Tsammani, expressed clear displeasure with the unfolding situation. The judge made it clear that they would not recognize anyone claiming to represent the Labour Party. He acknowledged Obi’s appearance as the first petitioner but did not acknowledge any representatives from the party.
Julius Abure, the national chairman of the Labour Party, was present in court but did not announce his appearance.
This development stems from a crisis that arose when two separate courts in Abuja and Edo issued conflicting orders regarding the recognition of different leadership factions within the political party.