However, after the NEC assembly held in Delta, the National Working Committee, NWC, led by Baba Apapa needed to droop all the opposite chairmen and extra so as a result of their tenure had expired, they now fashioned one other contemporary channel in all of the states of the federation. So so far as I’m involved, I don’t have any grudges or any drawback with the opposite facet. All I’m saying is that permit us observe the due course of and being a lawyer, I’ve to be very cautious with no matter I’m doing.
The incontrovertible fact that they’re on the opposite lane doesn’t imply I ought to simply blindly observe them. As you’re conscious, Barr. Julius Abure is my excellent brother as a result of he’s a lawyer and I’m a lawyer too. I’ve been supporting him come rain come sunshine. I’ve been on his facet on a regular basis. The solely time we parted methods was when the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) barred him and three different nationwide govt members of the get together from parading themselves as nationwide officers of the get together.
Even when the working committee suspended him, I used to be with Julius Abure in Edo State to indicate him solidarity. I stated that call can’t maintain water.
However, when there was a court docket order restraining him, that was when the problem got here up. I stated if there’s a court docket order regardless of the love I’ve for Abure, the court docket order must be obeyed.
As you already know, we’re having an election season developing in Bayelsa in Imo and Kogi state. So is it as a result of I’ve a love for Abure, I ought to simply neglect about due course of and observe Abure on the detriment of the 6 million individuals in Imo State, 7 million individuals in Kogi, and 4.5 million individuals in Bayelsa? If I try this I didn’t do justice. We suggested that since there’s a court docket order, let one other individual represent the committee that might conduct our primaries in these states however Abure refused.
He (Abure) appointed me because the Chairman of the Appeal Committee in Imo State but when I had gone there I might not be doing justice to LP. So, I instructed them categorically that I’m not going to go and I got here again to the facet of Baba Apapa as a result of the structure beneath part 15 of our LP says that ‘If the Chairman is absent, the Deputy Chairman shall be there to act in an acting capacity”. So I now look at it, I said if I participate in Abure’s primaries, something we do throughout the interval of that court docket order could be a nullity and on the finish of the day, all that APC and PDP will do if we win the election in Imo, Kogi, and Bayelsa is simply to go to the tribunal and the court docket will take away our successful due to this avoidable circumstances.
So why ought to we enterprise into it after we know that even when you already know what you’re doing and you’re heading in the right direction, dealing with PDP and APC in court docket isn’t a straightforward factor, speak extra when you already know you will have a skeleton in your cabinet. So I feel Barr. Julius Abure ought to have put apart his curiosity and regarded on the curiosity of the individuals of these states and the get together.
It’s additionally believed in some quarters that Apapa is being sponsored to trigger disaffection in the get together…
We aren’t speaking about whether or not Baba Apapa is sponsored by the APC, APGA, or PDP. I don’t care about that as a result of it isn’t one thing that has been established however the court docket order towards Abure has been established, and it’s one thing that I can contact and see however the accusation about Baba Apapa, I’ve nothing to indicate that he has been hobnobbing with the APC or he’s with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
It is a mere hearsay as a result of there isn’t a single proof, to not speak extra of images, or movies that present Baba Apapa mingling with APC or Tinubu.
Even the allegation that he has not been with the get together isn’t true as a result of Abure is the longest-serving officer of the get together. He has been with the get together for 23 years. He is the oldest elected Deputy National Chairman now we have.
But received’t the disaster have an effect on Peter Obi’s possibilities in court docket?
This case has nothing to do with the Tribunal as a result of already tribunal points have been joined. Though Peter Obi the opposite time was saying that he believes that Baba Apapa has been used to trigger issues for him in the tribunal. But with due respect to him, Obi as a pacesetter has not carried out a lot in phrases of standing agency to resolve the crises of the get together as he’s the daddy and nationwide chief of the get together.
Obi hasn’t carried out a lot in phrases of standing agency to resolve the disaster in the get together. He ought to have known as each events. For occasion, have a look at Atiku, despite the fact that he had issues with Wike. I can’t depend what number of occasions he held conferences with Wike each throughout the nation and out of doors the nation. I imagine it received’t take Obi as much as an hour to resolve the LP disaster. It’s only for him to go to the Transcorp Hilton resort and maintain conferences with the aggrieved leaders and earlier than you already know it, this matter will probably be resolved however he has not carried out that. The solely factor he does is to make accusations that somebody is working for APC.
This isn’t the easiest way to go as a pacesetter and lots of people are saying that if he can’t resolve the micro disaster in the LP, how can he resolve the complicated drawback of the Niger Delta, IPOB, or Boko Haram in the north. So it’s a type of a check for Peter Obi and the possibility continues to be open for him to be sure that he requires dialogue and resolves all this disaster as a result of I imagine they aren’t insurmountable.
More so, one other factor that deepened the disaster was when the appearing chairman, Apapa was attacked on the tribunal. Though I wasn’t there, they stated Peter Obi was in court docket, Abure was there they usually noticed how Apapa was being maltreated however he (Obi) couldn’t place a name to him, he couldn’t even condemn the act of obedience on his Twitter deal with.
You keep in mind when Wole Soyinka stated one thing about Peter Obi, the Obidients insulted him and the LP presidential candidate needed to go to his home to apologise on behalf of them. So this has additionally deepened the disaster to the extent that folks like Abayomi Arabambi, the National Publicity Secretary of the LP vowed that besides Peter Obi apologised for what occurred to Baba Apapa, he won’t cease difficult him overtly and you’ll see, in many newspapers, Arabambi has been attacking Obi left and centre. Let me inform you, between me and my almighty God, now we have held a collection of conferences the place Baba Apapa and everybody had been current.
We’ve tried to speak to Arabambi to not be a part of points with Peter Obi as a result of he’s our presidential candidate and the product that we’re all promoting however Arabambi stored on saying that he won’t cease due to what occurred to Baba Apapa on the tribunal after they had been all attacked.
If Obi had known as a gathering to dealer a truce this could not have degenerated. The different time I known as the LP Vice Presidential candidate, Datti Baba-Ahmed. I suggested him to name for a gathering it doesn’t matter what and I do know Baba Apapa to be a quite simple man, he’ll attend it.
The truth stays that if one thing isn’t carried out, on the finish of the day, it doesn’t matter what, there might nonetheless be this sort of drawback right here and there and our political rivals will probably be proud of the event as a result of the Labour Party is making an attempt to develop into a drive to reckon with.
Do you foresee Obi leaving the get together in the longer term?
Well, that’s his personal choice to make however I feel the get together that seems to be extra palatable or inclined by Obi’s ideology and every little thing is the LP. I feel he’ll stay in the get together to see how he could make issues occur as a result of you’ll be able to see that is someone that got here to the get together in lower than a yr however as God would have it, have a look at the type of goodwill the LP has obtained on account of the approaching of Peter Obi.
So it is going to be a foul calculation for him to say he’s going to vary his political get together at this materials time. I feel what he must do is to make use of his knowledge as someone who’s internationally acknowledged as a pacesetter of excessive reputation, to place all equipment in place, put all sentiment apart, and have a look at the curiosity of the get together and nation at giant.
He ought to name all of the opponents collectively, let’s sit down, and imagine me inside 2 days, this matter will probably be over, however up until now, Peter Obi has not known as for that assembly, which could be very not like him.
Are you saying that Obi intentionally doesn’t need to settle this disaster?
No, I can’t say that he intentionally doesn’t need to settle it and I can’t say what his cause is.
But is he taking sides with any faction?
Already he has taken sides with Abure and it isn’t serving to issues since you keep in mind even when there was a court docket order, Peter Obi participated in the Delta NEC assembly, and that prompted a whole lot of points in the get together. If not due to the respect that folks have for Peter Obi, they wished to provoke a contempt continuing and that might have been so unhealthy.
And that’s even what knowledgeable my resolve to imagine that Baba Apapa has not been sponsored by the APC. Let me inform you one thing, there’s a Supreme Court authority that claims that an individual in disobedience of a court docket order can’t be heard. It’s an authority. If you’re disobeying a Court order you’ll not be heard in the court docket of regulation. It’s a Supreme Court authority and all these on the facet of Baba Apapa are conscious of this authority however no one is of the view that such a case ought to be filed towards Peter Obi as a result of he’s one in every of us.
The solely drawback they’ve is Abure and the best way he (Obi) is taking sides with him. Hence, the rationale some persons are popping out to assault him overtly. They have seen that Peter Obi has already made up his thoughts that it doesn’t matter what, he will probably be with Abure.
So what recommendation do you will have for Peter Obi now?
It will probably be a great growth if he tries to handle the disaster in the LP and resolve it as a result of it’s a sign to him that he will probably be a great chief. One of the elemental issues Nigeria faces right this moment as a nation is lack of safety, so when you can’t resolve a micro drawback in your get together, individuals will giggle at us outdoors and say have a look at your Peter Obi, he can’t resolve a easy disaster and also you need us to hold an entire nation and provides to him?
We received’t try this and it is going to be a slap on us. So my recommendation to Peter Obi is ‘please no matter what the people say to him about Baba Apapa and co, he should give us a fair hearing’. Let him hear from us and the opposite get together. Then come to the centre and resolve this matter amicably. The Labour Party is larger than all of us.
