In a recent twist to the aftermath of the February 25 presidential election, the Lamidi Apapa-led faction of the Labour Party has accepted the judgment of the presidential election tribunal, which upheld President Bola Tinubu’s victory. However, their acceptance of the judgment is marred by accusations against Peter Obi, the former vice-presidential candidate.
Lamidi Apapa, the faction’s leader, publicly accused Peter Obi of siphoning campaign funds amounting to $15 million and N12 billion. Apapa claims that these funds were diverted for personal use, specifically to aid the family of Julius Abure and purported supporters of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
The Julius Abure faction of the Labour Party has refrained from responding to these allegations, maintaining a silence that has stirred further intrigue.
In a statement released by Abayomi Arabambi, a spokesperson for the Apapa-led faction, it was asserted, “Some of us have been saying that Peter Obi decided to go to the tribunal to justify all the money he collected during the campaign. All that money was corruptly siphoned.”
The statement continued, “Thus, our previous position has now been confirmed that Peter Obi was just all out to defraud our party of donations made towards the 2023 general election, which was in a scary sum of $15 million and N12 billion that Peter Obi deliberately used for (sic) cure Abure poverty lineage and help other Julius Abure IPOB irresponsible ethnic irredeemable irredentist supporters to have a lifeline.”
The Apapa faction further alleged, “Peter Obi fraudulently converted all monies due to our agents across the country, and they all refused to represent the party at all polling units.”
In response, the Abure faction’s spokesperson, Obiora Ifoh, stated, “We can’t be trading words with someone who has been expelled from the party and has no locus standi to claim that he’s the chairman of the Labour Party.”
Ifoh continued, “The man (Apapa) is an imposter, not a member of the party. How could you even give him an audience? I can’t respond to what an imposter is saying. He’s an unknown quantity. He’s not known by law, INEC, or the Labour Party.”
Tanko Yunusa, the spokesman for the Peter Obi-Yusuf Datti Presidential Campaign, offered a perspective from their side. He noted, “We don’t have a faction.”
Yunusa added, “We can’t be responding to people who we’re not in the line of argument with. That’s why most of us don’t want to respond to this particular allegation that doesn’t have any locus standi.”
He concluded, “As far as I’m concerned, that’s where we’ll remain on this particular matter. They’re just creating issues out of nothing and seeking attention. If they like, they should go and take us to court on that matter.”
As the political landscape continues to evolve, these accusations and counter-accusations raise questions about the transparency of campaign funds and the internal strife within the Labour Party. This story is developing, and further updates are anticipated in the coming days.
