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 aspect. All I’m saying is that permit us comply with the due course of and being a lawyer, I’ve to be very cautious with no matter I’m doing.
The indisputable fact that they’re on the opposite lane doesn’t imply I ought to simply blindly comply with them. As you’re conscious, Barr. Julius Abure is my superb 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 aspect 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 celebration from parading themselves as nationwide officers of the celebration.
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 recognize, we’re having an election season arising 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 comply with 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 will 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’d not be doing justice to LP. So, I advised them categorically that I’m not going to go and I got here again to the aspect of Baba Apapa as a result of the structure below 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 profitable due to this avoidable circumstances.
So why ought to we enterprise into it once we know that even when you recognize what you’re doing and you’re heading in the right direction, going through PDP and APC in court docket will not be a straightforward factor, speak extra when you recognize you could have a skeleton in your cabinet. So I feel Barr. Julius Abure ought to have put apart his curiosity and appeared on the curiosity of the individuals of these states and the celebration.
It’s additionally believed in some quarters that Apapa is being sponsored to trigger disaffection in the celebration…
We usually are not 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’s not one thing that has been established however the court docket order in opposition to 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 celebration will not be true as a result of Abure is the longest-serving officer of the celebration. He has been with the celebration for 23 years. He is the oldest elected Deputy National Chairman we’ve got.
But gained’t the disaster have an effect on Peter Obi’s probabilities 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 frontrunner has not carried out a lot in phrases of standing agency to resolve the crises of the celebration as he’s the daddy and nationwide chief of the celebration.
Obi hasn’t carried out a lot in phrases of standing agency to resolve the disaster in the celebration. He ought to have known as each events. For occasion, take a look at Atiku, although he had issues with Wike. I can’t rely what number of occasions he held conferences with Wike each throughout the nation and outdoors the nation. I imagine it gained’t take Obi as much as an hour to resolve the LP disaster. It’s only for him to go to the Transcorp Hilton lodge and maintain conferences with the aggrieved leaders and earlier than you recognize it, this matter can 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 will not be the easiest way to go as a frontrunner and lots of people are saying that if he can’t resolve the micro disaster in the LP, how can he resolve the advanced drawback of the Niger Delta, IPOB, or Boko Haram in the north. So it’s a type of a take a look at for Peter Obi and the prospect remains to be open for him to guarantee that he requires dialogue and resolves all this disaster as a result of I imagine they don’t seem to be insurmountable.
More so, one other factor that deepened the disaster was when the performing 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 bear 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 individuals 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 let you know, between me and my almighty God, we’ve got held a sequence of conferences the place Baba Apapa and everybody have been current.
We’ve tried to speak to Arabambi to not be 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 have been all attacked.
If Obi had known as a gathering to dealer a truce this is able to 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 will not be carried out, on the finish of the day, it doesn’t matter what, there might nonetheless be this type of drawback right here and there and our political rivals can be pleased with the event as a result of the Labour Party is attempting to grow to be a drive to reckon with.
Do you foresee Obi leaving the celebration in the longer term?
Well, that’s his personal determination to make however I feel the celebration 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 celebration to see how he could make issues occur as a result of you may see that is someone that got here to the celebration in lower than a yr however as God would have it, take a look at the type of goodwill the LP has acquired 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 celebration 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 frontrunner of excessive reputation, to place all equipment in place, put all sentiment apart, and take a look at the curiosity of the celebration and nation at giant.
He ought to name all of the fighters collectively, let’s sit down, and imagine me inside 2 days, this matter can 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 wish to settle this disaster?
No, I can’t say that he intentionally doesn’t wish to settle it and I can’t say what his motive is.
But is he taking sides with any faction?
Already he has taken sides with Abure and it’s not serving to issues since you bear in mind even when there was a court docket order, Peter Obi participated in the Delta NEC assembly, and that triggered lots of points in the celebration. If not due to the respect that individuals have for Peter Obi, they wished to provoke a contempt continuing and that will 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 let you know 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 aspect of Baba Apapa are conscious of this authority however no person is of the view that such a case needs to be filed in opposition to Peter Obi as a result of he’s certainly one of us.
The solely drawback they’ve is Abure and the way in which he (Obi) is taking sides with him. Hence, the explanation 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 can be with Abure.
So what recommendation do you could have for Peter Obi now?
It can be a superb improvement 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 can be a superb chief. One of the elemental issues Nigeria faces as we speak as a nation is lack of safety, so for those who can’t resolve a micro drawback in your celebration, individuals will chortle at us exterior and say take 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 gained’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 celebration. Then come to the centre and resolve this matter amicably. The Labour Party is greater than all of us.
