The Acting National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Lamidi Apapa, has said that he is not being sponsored by anyone to destroy the party.
Apapa said this as a guest on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics.
He insisted that he remains the Labour Party’s acting national chairman, and added that he enjoys the support of the followers of the party’s presidential candidate Peter Obi, otherwise known as “Obidients.”
“I think the Obidient movement are on my side. Let me tell you this when you say Obidient side (movement), are they not Nigerians? We are all Nigerians,” he said.
Asked about the Obidients vehemently kicking against him online, Apapa said, “Everybody has (the) freedom to say whatever they like without asking what has transpired. If they know what transpired, they will know they are acting out of ignorance.”
Apapa declared himself as the acting party boss shortly after Justice Hamza Muazu of the High Court of the FCT sitting at Maitama barred Julius Abure from parading himself as National Chairman of the party.
After his declaration, state chairmen of the party in the 36 states distanced themselves from Apapa and backed Abure.
“As of today, I am the acting national chairman of the party,” Apapa, who is the substantive Deputy National Chairman (South) of LP, insisted during the Channels TV appearance.
He also debunked claims that he is being sponsored by the opposition to destroy the Labour Party and derail the party’s challenge of its loss in the February 25 presidential election in the courts.
Apapa said he is a foundational member of LP and would gain nothing by pulling it down.
He allegations of being sponsored by the opposition, Apapa said, “That is not true. Nobody is sponsoring me. For anybody to now say I want to run down the party, that is a lie.”