The Lamidi Apapa-led Labour Party has announced that a factional leader of the party, Julius Abure, has already conceded defeat ahead of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal on Wednesday, September 6.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, the party revealed this in a press release hours before the tribunal judgement, urging security operatives to be diligent in their work by arresting any miscreant parading themselves as members of the Labour Party.
The Apapa leadership of the Labour Party said it is watching with keen interest some unguarded statements by some individuals and groups claiming to be supporters of the Presidential Candidate of the party, Peter Obi.
In the statement signed by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Dr. Arabambi Abayomi, the LP maintained that it is a party that is guided by strict adherence to the rule of law and good conduct, “a unique endowment that has stood us out among other political parties in the country.”
It expressed regret that since the conduct of the last election, particularly the Presidential polls, various mudslinging and character assassination that continue to trail the outcome of elections from its supporters have continued to rob the party of necessary sympathy that would have assisted LP to continue to grow in leaps and bounds.
The statement read, “The Party has been turned into a regional and ethnic bigot; you are always given unnecessary bashing and attacks if they see you giving constructive and candid advice.
“Many of these unguarded statements and actions by the so-called Obidients reflect on the ways and manners the IPOB also operates, so one may be tempted to say that all those who say they were fighting for the ‘restoration’ of Peter Obis mandate, were recruits from the IPOB.
“It’s un African for anybody to be debasing Our leaders the way these Obidients were doing. Calling your President various unprintable names in the name of Politics, and trying to instigate the people against constituted authority.”
The party, however, urged its supporters to remain calm as they await the verdict from the presidential election petition tribunal today.
It maintained that the party would not continue to tolerate any form of uncultured acts.
Speaking on the case before the tribunal, the party said that ‘Only God can anoint the King’, urging its supporters to shun every form of violence irrespective of the outcome of the court.
“Never in Our political history have we got it so bad as this. The need to caution our followers must be prioritised, or else, no sane individual will ever identify with us.
“Que sera sera, so says a popular cliche. Only God can anoint the King, and if all builders build and God says no, what can we, the ordinary mortals do?
“We urged all Our supporters not to listen to the voice and reasoning of those routing for crisis. We know that they meant evil for the Country, and we will not be part of their shenanigans.
“He who fights and runs away lives to fight another time.
“Labour Party will as a matter of principle, accept whatever the outcome of the Tribunal and go back to the drawing board to re-strategise for a better outing next time,” the statement read.
Labour Party further, in the statement, called on law enforcement agencies to continue to perform their constitutional roles by ensuring that all those who seem to be fomenting trouble are brought to book. Nigeria is bigger than an individual or group.
It stated, “Also worrisome is Mr ABURE’s disposition to the decision of the presidential election petition tribunal to deliver the judgment via live coverage, which ordinarily is the uncontroverted right of the tribunal to shame all the IPOB supporters of Julius Abure who are the real voices of “All Eyes On The JUDICIARY”.
“It stands logic in the head that those political misfits and anarchists who kept attacking the integrity of the 5 panels of justices of their perceived beliefs that the tribunal would not be fair in their judgement could come out to condemn the decisions on Live coverage.
“Labour Party under the Lamidi Apapa-led NWC want to emphasize that it is not the right of the people in a democracy to demonstrate violently in an attempt to intimidate the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in order to overthrow a legitimate government through illegitimate means.
“We therefore urge the Inspector General of Police to arrest and prosecute any miscreants causing civil disobedience or engaging in an act capable of causing a breech of peace in the name of the Labour party as they are not our member but the political wing of IPOB loyal to Julius Abure and the obligation of state security agents to protect the demonstrators and those not demonstrating.
“We want Nigerians to note that Julius Abure has, through the disjointed statements issued by his personal aides has conceded defeat, and he is already planning to appeal to the Supreme Court when he said, and I quote, “Meanwhile, we implore Nigerians to remain calm and peaceful, abide by the rule of law, and understand that this matter has not reached its logical and final conclusion.
“This has shown the reasons why they launched the unwarranted attack on the judiciary, knowing full well the end result from the inception.
“Labour Party, by this statement, call on law enforcement agencies to continue to perform their constitutional roles by ensuring that all those that seem to be fomenting trouble are arrested and brought to book using full instrument of the Law.
“Nigeria is bigger than an individual or group.”
