ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- The National Publicity Secretary of the Lamidi Apapa-led faction of the Labour Party (LP), Abayomi Arabambi, has explained that Lamidi Apapa assumed leadership of the party in line with constitutional provisions following the Supreme Court’s judgment removing Barrister Julius Abure as National Chairman.
In an interview with Vanguard in Abuja on Thursday, Arabambi emphasized that Apapa, as the Deputy National Chairman (South), was next in line and constitutionally mandated to take over the party’s leadership until a national convention is held.
“Nature abhors a vacuum, and in our case in the Labour Party (LP), there is no vacuum at this stage because our constitution made adequate provision for this eventuality,” Arabambi stated.
He added, “It says, if the position of National Chairman becomes vacant by his removal, resignation, or he becomes incapacitated, Deputy National Chairman takes over.
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“There is no provision for caretaker committee or interim leadership or any name so-called outside of what our constitution stimulates.”
Arabambi dismissed recent actions by other stakeholders in the party, branding them as illegitimate actors.
“Senator Nanedi Usman and all those running around under the guise of leading our party are meddlesome interlopers who should not be taken seriously,” he said.
His comments come just a day after a group of party stakeholders, led by Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and the Governor of Abia State, Alex Otti, endorsed the Senator Nenadi Usman-led National Caretaker Committee to manage party affairs until a proper convention is held.
This decision followed the release of the Certified True Copy of the Supreme Court’s judgment concerning the leadership dispute between Abure and Usman.
Arabambi maintained that the party’s constitution remains the guiding authority and that Lamidi Apapa’s takeover is both legal and binding until new leaders are elected through the appropriate process.