Headline
LP Lagos factionlises as new exco emerges
The crisis rocking the Labour Party (LP) has continued unabated as a new LP faction led by Mr Olumide Adesoyin emerged in Lagos State.
The Adesoyin-led faction disowned Mrs Dayo Ekong-led Executive Committee (Exco) which led the party into the 2023 General Elections in the state.
Speaking, Adesoyin said that a competence court had warned the general public to desist from dealing with Ekong-led faction anymore in the state.
Adesoyin said the Ekong-led exco was no longer recognised by law, following the sack of the Mr Julius Abure-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the party, which appointed Ekong-led excos into office.
“It is in the public knowledge that Abure was suspended by members of his ward in Edo State in April 2023, the reason Alhaji Bashiru Lamidi Apapa was called upon to take over the leadership, being the next in line, to rescue the party.
“It would be recalled quickly that the embattled Abure appealed his suspension at the Appeal Court but lost and the case is now listed in the Supreme Court awaiting proceedings and judgment,” he said.
Adesoyin said that it was based on the court judgement that he and his team were given a letter by Apapa in April to act and perform as the executive committee of the Labour Party in Lagos State for three months period.
He said that this was in consonance with the party’s constitution, noting that the three months period would expire by the end of July.
Adesoyin said that the tenure of his own exco had since been renewed by the party’s national body.
He said that notwithstanding the party’s laid down rules and regulations, the Ekong-led exco had been “going about parading themselves as the state executives of the party in manners that is rather alien to our party’s constitution.”
He explained that the need to maintain Labour Party’s respectable name made his exco-led to approach an Ikeja High Court to put Ekong-led exco in check.
Adesoyin urged members of the public to be wary of their dealings with the Abure-led body, saying that courts of competent jurisdiction in both Benin and Abuja had cautioned Nigerians against such.
“The court has warned that anyone still having any dealings with them, does so at his or her own peril,” he added.
Adesoyin also debunked claims in some quarters that Apapa and his group were working for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), even as he insisted that there was no faction in Lagos LP.
According to him, his exco remained the authentic one that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will deal with.
Adesoyin also assured that the LP would win the forthcoming House of Representatives bye-election in Surulere Federal Constituency I of the state.
In a swift reaction, Ekong-led State Working Committee had described the group as impostors, who interpret court orders to suit their selfish interest.
Ekong in a statement urged the general public to disregard Adesoyin’s claim, saying the party’s constitution did not recognise faction.
She urged Nigerians to know that there is no faction in the party, the Labour Party either at the National or State level.
Ekong said there was only one legally constitutional and recognised national chairman and secretary of the party in the persons of Mr Julius Abure and Mr Umar Farouk respectively.
She noted that the Constitution of the party did not know any position of “acting national chairman.
According to her, Apapa is not the national chairman neither are his cohorts, members of the national working committee of the Labour Party.
Ekong said: “For sake of clarity, Mr Apapa and his cohorts are suspended members of a national working committee of the party.
“They were suspended via a resolution made at the INEC meeting of the Party held at Asaba Delta State on April 18, 2023.
“A certified true copy of the INEC report of the said meeting is available for anyone to inspect and verify.
“In view of the above, Mr Lamidi Apapa and his co-travellers do not have any power or locus to carry out any function as officers of a party both at national and state level.”
She said the order of Hon. Justice D.O. Osiager in suit No: FHC/L/CS/1277/2023 made on July 17 ordered the Apapa group to maintain status quo ante bellum pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice already filed in the suit.
According to her, the implication of the order is that the Apapa group cannot do anything whatsoever in the capacity of the officers of the party until the matter is disposed off and suit is adjourned to the Oct. 9, 2023.
The Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN has warned against obstructing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from carrying out its lawful duty .
Fagbemi’s warning is contained in a statement in Abuja.
“This is a matter of very grave concern, it is now beyond doubt that the EFCC is given power by the law to invite any person of interest to interact with them in the course of their investigations into any matter, regardless of status.
“Therefore, the least that we can all do when invited, is not to put any obstruction in the way of EFCC, but to honourably answer their invitation.
“A situation where public officials who are themselves subject of protection by law enforcement agents will set up a stratagem of obstruction to the civil and commendable efforts of the EFCC to perform its duty is to say the least, insufferably disquieting’’.
He added that running away from the law will not resolve issues at stake but only exacerbate them.
“Nigeria has a vibrant judicial system that is capable of protecting everyone who follows the rule of law in seeking protection.
“I therefore encourage anyone who has been invited by the EFCC or any other agency to immediately toe the path of decency and civility by honouring such invitation instead of embarking on a temporising self-help and escapism.
“This can only put our country in bad light before the rest of the world’’.
He said institutions of state should be allowed to function effectively and efficiently.
“I stand for the rule of law and will promptly call EFCC, and indeed any other agency to order when there is an indication of any transgressions of the fundamental rights of any Nigerian by any of the agencies’’.
NAN reports that the EFCC had on Wednesday warned members of the public that it was a criminal offence to obstruct officers of the Commission from carrying out their lawful duties.
Section 38(2)(a(b) of the EFCC Establishment Act makes it an offence to prevent officers of the Commission from carrying out their lawful duties. Culprits risk a jail term of not less than five years.
The warning , the EFCC said, became necessary against the background of the increasing tendency by persons and groups under investigation by the Commission to take the laws into their hands by recruiting thugs to obstruct lawful operations of the EFCC.
On several occasions, the anti graft agency said, operatives of the Commission have had to exercise utmost restraint in the face of such provocation to avoid a breakdown of law and order.
Some unknown gunmen have kidnapped Joshua Rogers, the ChannelsTV reporter in Port-Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
Politics Nigeria learnt that Rogers was picked up close to his residence at Rumuosi in Port Harcourt and to an unknown destination by the gunmen around 9pm on Thursday, April 11.
The reporter was driving his official ChannelsTV branded car when the hoodlums accosted, pointed a gun at him and took him away in the same vehicle.
Rogers was said to be returning from his official assignment in Government House after a trip to Andoni for a government event when the incident happened.
Already, the gunmen were said to have contacted his wife and demanded a N30million ransom for bis release.
His cameraman confirmed the incident and appealed to his abductors to set him free unconditionally.
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