Labour Party: Lamidi Apapa, Abure in battle over plan to hold congress in Imo

The faction of the labour party, LP, from Imo state, loyal to Apapa Lamidi, has warned the Julius Abure, group not to conduct any labour party state congress, in Imo.

Speaking to newsmen in Owerri, on Monday, the chairman under Apapa, Mr Ikechukwu Akujobi, has described any congress that was not conducted by him (Akujobi) as null and void.

It was his view that the legal tussle at the national level of the party, which he claimed gave the power of an authentic national chairman of the Labour Party, to Apapa Lamidi.

He started by saying: “I joined the labour party in 2014 and became chairman in 2016. I was wrongly removed. In 2023 was reinstated by Apapa Lamidi. I was removed unconstitutionally. The national secretary then was Julius Abure. Who then said I was wrongly removed. The only thing that can remove me is a national congress.

“Based on this I want to openly let labour party members know that one Festus Onyekwulisi, wants to conduct a state congress in the state, that exercise is null and void. Anybody involved should consider himself an anti-party.”

“Also, we can’t run a party that is for the highest bidder. It is becoming a money party. So I want to plead with all members of LP, that I have come back and we will fix the LP in Imo state. If we must set things right we must avoid segregation.

“Every politician in Imo State must come together to rescue Imo State. I want to sound a note of warning to anybody who parades himself as chairman of LP will see color. I set up a guber primary election and a candidate emerged Chief Ikechukwu Ukaegbu Joseph (Ikenga) so whoever parades himself as the candidate will face me. I thank God, that Apapa, said he was not aware and that there is nothing like a plan to conduct state Congress. We believe that Peter Obi won. We believe he will recover his mandate from the court,” he said.

(Vanguard)