Labour Party asks election tribunals to discountenance letters withdrawing petitions

LABOUR Party (LP) has called on all election petition tribunals to disregard letters by its suspended National Legal Adviser, Mr Samuel Akingbade, withdrawing all the party’s petitions.

The party’s Acting National Publicity Secretary, Mr Obiora Ifoh, stated on Tuesday in Abuja that the presidential election petition tribunal in particular should dismiss the letter.

He called on the police, the Department of State Services (DSS) and anti-graft agencies to quickly apprehend and question the party’s ex-officials involved in the letter before they succeeded in igniting the nation.

“The party’s suspended Deputy National Chairman, Mr Lamidi Apapa has approached all election tribunals wherein LP has pending matters, including that of our presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, asking for withdrawal of cases.

“We are by this statement informing all arms of the Judiciary, including the tribunals and courts to ignore the ignoble antics of these compromised, suspended members of the party.

“Daily, the evil intention of the breakaway faction of the Labour Party, led by the suspended deputy national chairman, Mr Apapa continues to manifest.

“Just on Tuesday morning, our legal team was confronted by the stark revelation that these men have advanced their plots by approaching tribunals where our candidates lodged petitions to discontinue the cases,’’ Ifoh stated.

He added that the plan was to frustrate Labour Party’s destined victory at the tribunals and also to derail the country’s fledgling democracy.

He listed some of the suspended party members to include Messrs Akingbade, Gbenga Daramola, Anselem Eragbe and Abayomi Arabambi.

They were the National Legal Adviser, National Financial Secretary, National Youth Leader and National Publicity Secretary, respectively.

Ifoh recalled that the leadership of Labour Party had been swimming through the murky waters of conspiracy, treachery and sabotage orchestrated by the former officers.

He stated also that party had long-suspected that moles were planted to sabotage its efforts to offer Nigerians alternative governance.

“The desperation of the moles to satisfy their paymaster is beginning to threaten the nation’s peace and democracy.

“Approaching the tribunals to withdraw all the cases lodged by Labour Party candidates is the height of subterfuge and treachery, and Nigerians will resist this ploy to plunge the nation into unnecessary turmoil.

“Their actions show that they are working against the party to destroy it.

“If they claim they have problem with the national leadership of the party, will they also claim that they have problem with the candidates of the party?

“What offence has the candidates of the party committed that they are now moving around to withdraw their matters from the tribunals,’’ he queried.

Ifoh stated also that he was appointed national publicity secretary of the party at a meeting in Asaba because of the vacancy created by the expulsion of the former national publicity secretary.

“All relevant government agencies, including the National Executive Council of the party were present where I was unanimously appointed,’’ he stressed.