Adedokun Waliyu 
Apapa, who described himself as a founding member of the LP, claimed he enjoyed the support of the party’s supporters as the new leader.
Lamidi Apapa, the acting National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), has stated that if the party’s supporters, known as ‘Obidients,’ understand what is really going on in the party, they will realise that they have been acting ignorantly.
Apapa was reacting to the backlash directed at him since his appointment.
The acting chairman said this when he appeared on Channels Televisions Sunday Politics, where he refuted the accusation that opponents sponsored him to destroy the party.
It was reported on Friday that some Labour Party supporters took to social media, particularly Twitter, to criticize Apapa for allegedly working against the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, during the February election.
SaharaReporters earlier reported that the Labour Party’s leadership crisis came to a head on Thursday as seven members of the National Working Committee of the Party, announced the National Vice-Chairman (South), Lamidi Bashir Apapa, as the acting chairman of the party, replacing the suspended chairman, Julius Abure.
Apapa, who described himself as a founding member of the LP, claimed he enjoyed the support of the party’s supporters as the new leader.
“That is not true. Nobody is sponsoring me,” Apapa maintained.
“For anybody to now say I want to run down the party, that is a lie,” the LP chieftain added.
When asked if he believes ‘Obideint movement’ would back his leadership in the party.
He said, “I think so, they are at my side. Let me tell you why this; when you say Obidients’ side, are they not Nigerians, they are all Nigerians. Obedients’ side is not just from somewhere else, we are all Nigerians.
“Whether I am conversant or not, everybody has freedom to say whatever he likes without asking, without investigating whatever transpired. If they know what transpired, they will know they are acting out of ignorance.”
Regarding allegations that he was being sponsored by opponents to destroy the party, the LP chieftain refuted the claims. He said as a foundational member of the LP, he would not do such.
According to him, since a court has ordered four national officers of the party including Abure to stop parading themselves as such, his move is in the right direction.
“Now, if that has happened, what else? The next person should take over,” he said, noting that seven members of the LP National Working Committee (NWC) voted for him as the acting chairman of the party.
