PEPC Drama: Lamidi Apapa escapes being lynched at Obi’s petition hearing

…Denies receiving N500m to scuttle LP’s suit

BY ANDREW OROLUA

The acting National Chairman of Labour Party Lamidi Apapa escaped been lynched on Wednesday at the premises of the Federal High Court Abuja the venue of Presidential Election Petition Court, PEPC, by the loyalists of suspended National Chairman Julius Abure.

Apapa attended the Court session and he had attempted to introduce himself when the petition filed by Peter Obi challenging the election of Ahmed Bola Tinubu as President-Elect was mentioned.

But the Presiding Justice Haruna Tsammani overruled the introduction of Lamidi Apapa and the Women National Leader Duba Manuga as the representative of LP at the pre- hearing session when both got up to introduce themselves as representing the Labour Party.

When the court rose, Abure and his faction came out and walked through the lobby toward the exit door. Apapa and his faction came out of the court room and wanted to brief the press on what transpired inside the court.

However, a group of youths and loyalists to Abure pounced on him and there was commotion as shouts of ‘thief…thief’ rented the air. It took the intervention of media men and security personnel to save him. Police took him into protective custody until the mob was dispersed.

Speaking at a press conference later at the Federal High Court, Lamidi Apapa profusely thanked the media and security personnel for saving him from being mobbed by the angry youths.

Apapa said that he went to the Court of Appeal as acting National Chairman of Labour Party to witness Peter Obi and Labour Party petition. He denied that he was there to withdraw the petition as being speculated in the media.

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He said that he did not receive N500m as being alleged against him to abort Peter Obi’s petition .He said that he had no reason to scuttle the election victory he had fought for and won.

It will be recalled that insinuations are rife that Apapa is a mole in LP being sponsored by the ruling APC to help disorganise the legal chances of the Labour Party. This is coming on the heels of the general belief that the 2023 presidential election results were massively doctored in favour of the APC, even as local and international media have continued to say so. Two days ago, the BBC in its investigative series released a report, detailing how the poll was won by the LP in Rivers State, contrary to what INEC announced.