The factional national chairman of the Labour Party, Lamidi Apapa, was engaged in a heated exchange with the party’s presidential campaign director, Akin Osuntokun, at the presidential election petition court on Wednesday.
Trouble started when the courtroom was opened for lawyers and litigants at about 8:05am for the day’s proceedings.
Osuntokun and other party bigwigs were already seated in the plaintiffs’ gallery when Apapa and his colleagues approached them and demanded that they give up their seats.
Apapa asserted that as the rightful head of the Labour Party, he belonged in the plaintiffs’ gallery.
But Osuntokun refused to give up his seat, insisting that Apapa had no right to take the seat.
To defuse the heated situation between the two leaders, Josephine Ekperobe, secretary of the presidential election petition court, had to step in.
The justices arrived to commence the day’s proceedings and also refused to acknowledge the representation of the party aside the presidential candidate of the party, Peter Obi, who is present in court.
The Tribunal refused to take an appearance for the LP as the acting National Chairman of the party, Lamidi Apapa, as well as the National Women’s Leader of the party, Dudu Manugu, tried to make an appearance for Labour Party when the petition was called.
Justice Haruna Tsamani noted that if two persons are making an appearance for the party, they will not be put on record.
