The Kaduna State chapter of the Labour Party on Saturday severed ties with the Lamidi Apapa-faction of the party, escalating the conflict that has gripped the organisation.
Three of the party’s leaders were also suspended due to anti-party behaviour.
After a State Executive Council emergency meeting in Kaduna, the party announced the suspension of Hon. Bashir Idris Aliyu, the party’s deputy governorship candidate, Michael Ayuba Auta, its senatorial candidate, and another leader, Ibrahim Sidi Bamali.
Those suspended attended the meeting of the Bauchi National Executive Council of the party’s factional chairman, Lamidi Apapa, according to an eight-point communiqué issued to reporters shortly after the SEC meeting by the party’s public relations officer, Yusuf Idris.
The party’s decision to suspend the chieftains will be sent to the National Working Committee of the Labour Party and other pertinent organisations for further action, the spokesman said.
Yusuf continued by saying that the party’s members reaffirmed their allegiance to Hon. Auwal Tafoki, the party’s state chairman, and urged the people to dismiss any imposters.
The communique partly read, “Following the sudden emergence of a renegade group in the Labour Party led by one Lamidi Apapa, our great party is being assaulted by agents of destabilisation and commotion.
“The intention is to create parallel structures at the National level and all over the states to lend support to the dirty agenda of scuttling the mandate of Mr Peter Obi and Dr Datti Baba-Ahmed in the 2023 Presidential elections.
“Therefore, we the State Executive Council of the Labour Party in Kaduna state, having met today, have unequivocally resolved as follows;
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“That we totally dissociate ourselves from the illegal and counterfeit group of the Labour Party led by Lamidi Apapa.
“We hereby affirm and assert our loyalty, support and commitment to the Labour Party and the National Working Committee of our great party led by our lawfully recognised National Chairman, Julius Abure.
“Consequent upon the above, all appointments and decisions made by the Apapa group on behalf of our great Party remain null and void.”
It added, “For the records, the Chairman of the Labour Party in Kaduna State remains Auwal Tafoki. Any other person parading himself in the above position is blatantly committing impersonation and may face the wrath of the law.
“All identified card-carrying members of the Labour Party who were part of the so-called NEC meeting that took place in Bauchi, Bauchi state, Wednesday, 3rd, May 2022 hereby stand suspended from the party.
“Among those identified and affected by this decision are the following: Bashir Idris Aliyu, Ibrahim Sidi Bamali, and Michael Ayuba Auta.
“We call on our members and the general public to disregard anyone or group parading him or themselves as State officials of the Labour Party in Kaduna State outside the duly constituted and recognised state Exco led by Auwal Tafoki.
“We, therefore, call on all our members and teeming supporters to remain calm and law-abiding even in the face of the unwarranted provocation by divisive agents.”
Jonathan Asake, the party’s candidate for governor in the state, also spoke. He observed that the current issue affecting the party was intended to undermine Peter Obi and Datti Baba-Ahmed’s support for the 2023 Presidential election.
