Can Labour Party's Factional Chairman Withdraw Peter Obi's Petition against Tinubu? Tanko Reacts

• There is a leadership crisis tearing apart the Labour Party (LP), with two factions claiming leadership
• Two conflicting court orders have been issued regarding the LP leadership, with the Apapa-led faction of the LP rumoured to have withdrawn the case filed against the president-elect, Tinubu
• However, an LP chieftain, Tanko Yunusa, said the faction does not have the locus standi to withdraw the case against Tinubu

FCT, Abuja - Labour Party (LP)'s presidential campaign spokesman, Tanko Yunusa, has said that despite the denial by Apapa Lamidi of approaching the court to withdraw Peter Obi's case against Bola Tinubu, he does not have the locus standi to do such in the first place.

The LP has been in the news over the leadership crisis tearing the party apart.

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Two factions have emerged in the party claiming its leadership. While the Julius Abure-led group has continued to claim it remains in charge of the party, the Lamidi Apapa-led faction believes Abure's time was up and would need to step aside.

Two conflicting court orders had been given concerning the leadership of the party. While one was given in Abuja, the other was issued in Benin.

A State High Court sitting in Benin had issued an injunction stopping the LP and all of its members from suspending its national officers until the move on notice was decided.

Also an earlier injunction ordered by an Abuja High Court stopped Julius Abure, the Labour Party’s national chairman, Farouk Ibrahim, the party’s national secretary, and two other individuals from claiming that they are party officials.

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Also stopped from parading themselves as National Officers are the National Organising Secretary, Clement Ojukwu and one other.

Both judgments have given the two principal actors in the crisis the power to continue to lay claims to their own rights.

Rumoured withdrawal of case against Tinubu

The Apapa-led faction has been rumoured to have withdrawn the case filed against the president-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The LP had within the week raised the alarm, accusing Lamidi Apapa of approaching the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal to dismiss all the cases filed by the party and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, against the president-elect, Bola Tinubu.

It warned that any move or letter written by the faction making such a request should be disregarded.

Apapa refutes withdrawing Peter Obi's case

The Apapa-led Labour Party, however, denied that it has gone to the presidential election tribunal to withdraw the petition filed by the party’s presidential candidate, Obi.

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According to Apapa, the publication was “a well-orchestrated plan by Abure to incite violence and chaos in order to make Nigeria ungovernable.”

APC accused of causing crisis

Meanwhile, the All Progressing Congress (APC) was accused of causing the crisis in the Labour Party.

The LP, in a statement through Abure, accused the APC of using thugs and the police to disrupt activities at the party’s headquarters in Abuja.

He alleged that the APC thugs who invaded the place reportedly pulled down the fences, doors and windows to enter the secretariat just to sack workers from the office.

But Apapa has since denied the allegation, saying his group is not being sponsored by anybody.

Apapa's group has no locus standi - Yunusa

Speaking exclusively with Legit.ng, Yunusa said even though the faction has denied that it approached a court, no such withdrawal will affect Peter Obi.

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He said:

"Let me be clear; it will not affect our principal. And besides, they have come out to deny that they sent any letter to withdraw that particular case. They have come out publicly to deny that particular news."

On if such happens in future, the LP chieftain said:

"Just like I said, they don't even have the locus standi at all in the first place. They are not recognised leaders of the party. The case has two angles. The plaintiffs are Peter Obi himself and the Labour Party, and apart from that, they don't have any jurisdiction over Labour Party at all."

2023 presidency: Peter Obi talks tough, insists on reclaiming mandate

In another report, Obi insisted that he won the presidential election and would reclaim the mandate through the court.

He made the claim on Sunday, April 30, in Awka, during a special interactive forum.

"The voting process has come and gone, and we are in another crucial stage of the election process, which is challenging the outcome of the election," Obi said.

Source: Legit.ng