The acting national chairman of the Labour Party, Lamidi Apapa, has insisted that no external body is sponsoring the ongoing crisis rocking the party.
The deputy national chairman (south) had declared himself as the LP national chairman last week following a fresh legal battle in the party.
In the wake of the development, Labour Party state chairmen in the 36 states of the federation disowned the factional leadership, throwing its weight behind Julius Abure as the party’s leader.
But Apapa maintains he is the acting national chairman of the party.
“As of today, I am the party’s acting national chairman,” he said when he appeared on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics.
While many accused him of being sponsored by opponents to destroy the party, the LP chieftain refuted the claims. He said as a foundational member of the LP, he won’t do such.
“That is not true. Nobody is sponsoring me,” Apapa maintained.
“For anybody to now say I want to run down the party, that is a lie,” the LP chieftain added.
He says since a court had ordered four national officers of the party including Abure to stop parading themselves as such, his move is in the right direction.
“Now, if that has happened, what else? The next person should take over,” he said, noting that seven members of the LP National Working Committee (NWC) voted for him as the acting chairman of the party.
Although some of the party’s supporters have faulted him for the move, Apapa says he enjoys the backing of Obi’s growing support base called “Obidients”.
“I think so,” he said when asked if Obi’s supporters are behind him. “When you say Obidients’ side, are they not Nigerians?”
