Anita Ogona
In a shocking turn of events, the Deputy National Chairman, South, of the Labour Party, Lamidi Apapa has collapsed his faction and accepted Julius Abure as the national chairman of the party.
The recent development may have put to rest, the leadership tussle between the two camps which almost polarised the party but this might be the beginning of a new chapter of crisis.
This follows a recent pronouncement by the Apapa’s faction that both factions reconciled to fight the presidential candidate of the party in the 2023 general election, Mr Peter Obi and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
The NLC had backed Abure during the war of attrition between him and Apapa.
With the new peace deal between Abure and Apapa, the two camps would team up against the plans by the NLC to take over the party.
Abure, who had enjoyed NLC’s support, fell out of favour with the union following a contentious national convention held in Anambra State that returned him and all his loyal members of the National Working Committee (NWC) to office three months ago.
This compelled the NLC Political Commission to void the new leadership and set up a transition committee, saddled with the task of engaging stakeholders of the party and conducting a fresh convention in 90 days.
NLC also embarked on a series of picketing at LP secretariats nationwide, insisting on an all-inclusive convention but Abure had his way.
A source at the LP national secretariat, who preferred anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, explained that Abure felt the urgent need to close rank with the Apapa’s faction following the open revolt and pressure from the NLC and his perceived differences with Obi.
According to the source, “it is the only logical way for him to have a united front against the threat of the NLC in particular. I believe you already know Abure has a long history with Apapa and Abayomi Arabambi before now,” the source explained.
When contacted, the factional spokesman of Apapa’s camp, Abayomi Arabambi, confirmed the development.
Arabambi told THISDAY that they had no problem with Abure from the outset because they knew he was being misled by NLC leadership.
“Yes, it is true. The reconciliation was done to fight a common enemy.”
When asked who the common enemy was, he said: “Peter Obi and the NLC, particularly the NLC President, Joe Ajaero.”
When reminded that the Abure-led party had reserved the 2027 presidential ticket for Obi, the spokesman of the Apapa faction said “That is a complete fallacy.”
He said: “We are together to stop all those political hawks from taking over our party. We thought they (NLC) were fighting for a just cause. But it is very obvious they only want to take over our party and we are not going to accept that.
He added: “I also want you to know that there is nothing like the Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign here anymore. It has been dissolved. Everybody has reverted to former governorship and presidential candidates. We don’t want disinformation from the Labour Party.”
The National Publicity Secretary of LP, Obiora Ifoh, also confirmed the reunion to THISDAY, saying it was not out of place for Abure to extend olive branches to aggrieved members of the party.
According to him, both leaders reconciled to move the party ahead.
He said: “They have reconciled and Apapa has reverted to his earlier position as the Deputy National Chairman, South. Apapa pledged solidarity with the Abure-led National Working Committee.
“The Labour Party is one united party now except for some little pockets of opposition led by Kenneth Okonkwo. We are sure that sooner than expected, he will join the mainstream party led by Abure,” Ifoh added.
Ifoh stressed that it was because of the reconciliation that Apapa had been speaking in favour of one united political party led by Abure.
He also disclosed that there were ongoing talks with the Ajaero-led NLC to put the Labour Party in a good position for the politics of 2027 and the governorship elections in Edo and Ondo scheduled later this year.
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