Lamidi Apampa, the acting national chairman of the Labour Party (LP), has declared that his suspension by the national working committee (NEC) of the party is invalid.
In an interview with Channels Television on Wednesday, Apampa maintained that he still holds the position of the acting national chairman of the LP.
Apampa and five members of the party’s executive council were suspended by the NEC on Tuesday for “anti-party activities, contravening the constitution of the party, and running of parallel leadership and putting the party in total disrepute.”
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The suspension followed a federal capital territory (FCT) high court order that restrained Julius Abure from parading himself as the LP’s national chairman.
Apampa, who was the deputy national chairman of the LP (south), subsequently declared himself as the party’s national chairman.
In his response to the suspension, Apampa claimed that his suspension was invalid because Abure did not have the legal backing to convey the NEC meeting of the party.
He also clarified that his rejection by officials of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) was due to their lack of knowledge of the party’s history and his role.
“I was not suspended. I was not invited to the NEC meeting. They think that I was not supposed to be there. As of today, I’m the only legitimate acting national chairman of the party,” Apampa said.
He further explained that he was not struggling with Abure and was in an acting capacity.
According to him, the party’s constitution stipulates that if the national chairman cannot perform his role, the deputy takes over.
He added that nobody was sponsoring him and that nobody had suspended him.
“I remain the acting national chairman of the party. I maintain that,” he concluded.
