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The ongoing crisis rocking the Labour Party has taken another dimension as another member of the party has declared himself the authentic National Chairman.
The self-acclaimed Chairman, identified as Callistus Okafor, has also approached the Supreme Court asking to be recognised as the substantive chair of the party.
Okafor, a former Deputy Chairman of the Labour Party, made the shocking disclosure while speaking with journalists on Friday, May 19, 2023.
It'd be recalled that there's an existing leadership tussle between the Julius Abure-led Labour Party and another faction led by Pa Lamidi Apapa.
Back in April, Apapa had declared himself the acting National Chairman of the party following an Abuja Federal High Court ruling barring Abure and four other members of the national executives from parading themselves as officials of the Labour Party.
This followed the sacking of Abure by his ward executives in Edo State over allegations of forgery, bribery, and anti-party activities.
Meanwhile, at a meeting of the National Executive Council held in Delta State, which was also attended by the party's presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, the Labour Party pledged support for Abure while axing Apapa and four other members of his executive from the party.
But, Apapa, the Deputy National Chairman of the party (South), has refused to give up and even went as far as causing a stir at the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) while trying to exert supremacy over the Abure-led faction.
Even though an Appeal Court ruling on Friday had lifted the suspension on Abure and other suspended officials of his executive, Okafor has insisted that he and Apapa are "fake" chairmen.
He argued that Apapa could not emerge in illegality, as his “emergence would have been better if there was no consent judgment,” adding that the consent judgment automatically makes Abure an illegal Labour Party chairman.
Okafor said, “I am the only acting national chairman of the Labour Party. Every other person parading himself as such is fake. Lamidi Apapa and Abure are both fake”.
“Let everybody know that I have approached the Supreme Court of Nigeria on Thursday, May 18 and prayed the apex court to declare Abure’s LP chairmanship claims, illegal.
“I have drawn the attention of the court to the fact that the acting secretary of the LP, based on the party’s constitution, cannot emerge as the Chairman.
“I have also asked the supreme court to declare null and void and of no effect, whatever Abure has done in his so-called capacity as the chairman of the LP.
“I specifically drew the attention of the honourable justices of the apex court to the fact that Abure has conducted an illegal convention and primaries for LP which he has no legal power to do.
“I have also asked the court to recognise my party’s membership list because the list is with me and could be verified.”