The confusion about who is the authentic candidate of Labour Party for the Imo State governorship election scheduled to hold on November, 11, has continued unabated, as the Court of Appeal, Owerri, which was relocated to Abuja as a result of insecurity has affirmed Lamidi Apapa as the National Chairman of Labour Party.
The latest development is at variance with an earlier judgment of the Court of Appeal which recently affirmed Barr Julius Abure as the authentic National Chairman of the party.
The confusion becomes more pronounced and complicated because, aside affirming Apapa as the authentic national chairman of Labour Party, the Court of Appeal in the most recent judgment, ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to publish without delay, the names of all the governorship candidates produced by the Lamidi Apapa-led National Working Committee (NWC) of Labour Party in Imo, Bayelsa and Kogi States.
This also negates the position of the National Chairman of the Party, Julius Abure, its Presidential candidate in the February, 25 election Peter Obi and the Governor of Abia State, Alex Otti who at the flag off of Senator Athan Achonu’s governorship campaign at the Kanu Nwankwo Square, Owerri on Tuesday, said “we are here to tell Imo people that Athan Achonu is the gubernatorial candidate of Labour Party. Any other person claiming the position is an impostor”.
Reacting to the latest judgment, one of Senator Athan Achonu’s lawyers, Barr Emeka Ihejirika said “the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja today dismissed the appeal filed by Mr Basil maduka. The court further held that the appeal by the Labour Party was not necessary as the decision of the trial court was in its favour and that mere comments of the trial judge in the matter was NOT A JUDGEMENT and should be discountenanced(ignored). Labour Party has asked the Court of Appeal to quash the comments of the trial court. Labour Party has also told the court that Senator Achonu won the party’s primaries. With this Court of Appeal judgment and the endorsement of Senator Athan Achonu by Peter Obi, Alex Otti ,Labour Party national Chairman Julius Abure and others. The dust has settled on the gubernatorial ticket issue”.
A cross section of Imo people who expressed reservation about what they described as the unwholesome actions and inactions of the courts, wondered why the judiciary which is universally recognized as the last hope of the common man should be flagrantly giving conflicting judgments that enhance controversy, instead of nipping it in the bud.
