VANGUARD
The Julius Abure and Lamidi Apapa-led factions of the Labour Party have disagreed over a ruling of an Appeal Court, in Owerri, the Imo State capital, on Thursday.
While Apapa and his supporters claim that the court dismissed Abure as National Chairman and affirmed their candidate as the authentic chairman, the Abure-led Labour Party dismissed such claims as fake news.
According to reports emanating from the Apapa-led camp, the Appeal Court also dismissed the governorship and other candidates sponsored by the Abure-led National Working Committee while affirming Apapa’s leadership of the party.
In response, the LP National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh said in a statement in Abuja, that facts about what transpired in court state otherwise.
He said, “It is another devastating blow for the Lamidi Apapa led dissident group as the Court of Appeal Owerri, sitting in Abuja today, Thursday August 24, 2023 dismissed the appeal filed by one Mr Basil Maduka, who is contending for the Labour Party governorship candidacy for Imo state.
“The court further held that the appeal by the Labour Party was not necessary as the decision of the trial court was in its favour and that mere comments of the trial judge in the matter was NOT A JUDGEMENT and should be discountenanced.
“Labour Party had asked the Court of Appeal to quash the comments of the trial court in the Federal High Court Owerri. Labour party also told the court that Senator Athan Achonu won the party’s primaries.
“The attention seeking camp of Lamidi Apapa had earlier today as usual misinformed the public by twisting the clear judgement of the appellate court.
“It is therefore important to state that neither the Federal High Court Owerri nor the Court of Appeal Owerri, which sat in Abuja today made any orders in the matter other than for lack of locus standi against the plaintiff (Basil Maduka).
“Consequently, the status quo remains with Senator Athan Achonu as the validly nominated candidate of Labour Party for 2023 Imo governorship election
“With this Court of Appeal judgment and the endorsement of Senator Achonu by our national leader Peter Obi, Abia State Governor Alex Otti, the Labour Party National Chairman Julius Abure and other stakeholders and party members, the dust has settled on the gubernatorial ticket issue.
