A power struggle is brewing within the Labour Party as Lamidi Apapa, a Deputy National Chairman, and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) clash over who should lead the party. Apapa has summoned a National Working Committee meeting to kick-start reconciliation efforts as directed by the Supreme Court.
But the meeting failed to hold and Apapa said it would be scheduled for another day.
Apapa insisted that Article 14 of the party’s constitution confers on him the authority to lead the party in the absence of the national chairman.
According to him, with the Supreme Court sacking Julius Abure, he is constitutionally supported to take over.
He declared that the NLC has the constitutional responsibility to stabilize the party and not to take over the leadership under any condition.
He also explained that there is no constitutional support for the National Caretaker Committee headed by Sen. Nenadi Usman.
He spoke on Smile FM Radio monitored in Lagos yesterday.
But Acting Chairman of the NLC Political Commission, Prof Theophilus Ndubaku, told The Nation that Apapa ceased to be LP national officer following the expiration of the Abure-led exco under which he served.
According to him, Apapa could no longer call an NWC meeting.
He said: “Everything about Abure and his followers ended after the expiration of that period given which they endorsed for terms of settlement.
“That includes Apapa and everybody because we are not talking about Abure alone. We are talking about the entire structure of the LP (NWC).
“Apapa is just seeking attention. Once the media understand the whole issues and where it is coming from, they will stop projecting his claim to the chairmanship position of the party.
“Most of them are being sponsored because they know that LP is the party to beat come 2027, that is why they are scared.”
