ABURE VS APAPA: ‘There Is No Faction In Labour Party” – Ceekay Igara, Chairman, Council Of Chairmen

On the heels of the leadership crisis rocking the Labour Party at the National level, the Chairman, Council of Chairmen of Labour Party in Nigeria, Mr Ceekay Igara, has stated that the party is intact and there is no existing faction in the party, rather the seeming trouble in the party is the hand work of opposition (APC) who have succeeded in buying over a few.

Making clarifications on the issues concerning the embattled National Chairman of the party, Barrister Julius Abure and the Acting chairman of the party, Lamidi Apapa, Ceekay Igara who doubles as the Abia state Labour Party chairman told ALL FACTS NEWSPAPER that the party nor the council of chairmen are yet to be served with the court order restraining Abure and three others from parading themselves as party leaders.

He noted that Abure remains the National chairman of the Labour Party as he was not suspended by the court rather restrained, similarly another court restrained Apapa from doing anything inimical to the development of the party.

“There is no faction in Labour Party, rather there is a seeming invasion by elements outside the party trying to use some few elements within the party who have one issue or the other to foment trouble.

“We were told that there is a restraining order from an Abuja court restraining the National chairman, the secretary, organising secretary and treasurer from parading themselves as national leaders of the party; nobody has shown us that document “ Igara said.

Recall that Justice Hamza Muazu of a Federal High Court in Abuja had in April, 2023 given an interim order restraining Abure, the National Secretary, Umar Farouk Ibrahim; the National Treasurer, Oluchi Opara; and the National Organising Secretary, Clement Ojukwu, from parading themselves as party leaders.

Speaking further, Igara on behalf of the party’s council of chairmen, added;

“The court did not give Apapa and co authority to break into the national office of the party, nor to steal anything. It is on record that they stole laptops, wines, too many things from the office of the national secretary.”

“The council of chairmen, we are making it clear that there is no faction in labour party rather an act of criminality was perpetrated by elements who are disgruntled “ he insisted.

Reacting to Apapa’s 48 hours ultimatum to Labour party/Peter Obi’s legal team to brief him on legal matters as he is “now in charge” Igara queried;

“in charge of what? maybe he is in charge of his family”.

He insisted that Abure remains the national chairman of Labour Party, citing a contrary court order, affirming him as same against the restraining order.

He explained further;

“Labour party is an organisation that is run with a constitution….. Apapa is not the national chairman and cannot be the national chairman. Julius Abure is the national chairman of Labour Party, “

Igara maintained that Apapa, Eragbe Anslem and Arabambi Abayomi have been suspended from the party and remains suspended.

“They were all expelled during the convention at Ondo which wasn’t this year; it was just because of prerogative mercy that they were all recalled and the expulsion was not enforced. But due to their present behaviours and characters, the National Executive Council (NEC) said ‘we are implementing the expulsion that was given to them’.

The chairman extended an olive branch to Apapa and his loyalists and charged them to desist from every act that will distort the peace of the party and come together to push the visions of Labour Party forward.

“Labour party will come stronger after all these distractions. We will overcome, we will set up traps to catch up these rodents, then clear our house and live normally” he added while re-assuring party faithfuls.