The Labour Party, LP, has accused a suspended member of the party, Lamidi Apapa of procuring a fraudulent judgment against the party’s governorship candidate in Imo State, Senator Athan Achonu.
LP’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, said Apapa and his faction are known for procuring what he described as “backdoor judgments.”
Ifoh accused the Apapa group of propagating falsehood, misinformation and series of blackmails, and this is yet another of their mischief.
According to him, the judgment against Achonu can not stand the test of time.
The statement reads: “The leadership of the Labour Party read with utter dismay the judgement entered against our candidate in the November governorship election in Imo State, Distinguished Senator Athan Achonu.
“We can confirm that the judgement was fraudulently procured by our former but now suspended members led by Lamidi Apapa and we have directed our legal team to appeal the judgment with immediate effect.
“This is not the first time we will be seeing such a backdoor judgement. Not too long ago, we intimated Nigerians, particularly our teaming party members, of the activities of the Apapa led renegades; how they have been moving round Nigeria shopping for a willing court that will do their biddings.”
“The judgement in Bayelsa is akin to what transpired in Kano State recently, where they procured a judgement against our party and against our Abia State then governor-elect. They have not relented on their evil mission, hence this judgement in Bayelsa State, even against the territorial jurisdiction as required by the law of the land.
“The fraudulently procured judgement is against the doctrine of fair hearing as provided by the 1999 Constitution, as the party candidate was not a subject to the suit and therefore not aware of the ongoing litigation. All they did was that the Apapa cronies came together, divided themselves, some posing as defendants and the others as petitioners.
“They sued and appeared for and against themselves and procured the backdoor judgement unknown to the candidate. The judgement will obviously not stand; It cannot stand the fire in the Court of Appeal and it cannot stand against the principles of the constitution.”
Ifoh urged LP supporters in Imo State to continue with their good works, stressing that they should not lose sleep over that judgment as it will be vacated just like the Kano judgement.
The party spokesman maintained that the judgment had nothing to do with the national leadership of the party.
Ifoh stressed that the Barrister Julius Abure led National Working Committee remains the authentic leadership of the party.
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