The factional National Chairman of the Labour Party, LP, Mr. Lamidi Apapa, who was attacked on Wednesday at the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which served as the site of the Presidential Election Petition Court, or PEPC, has praised God for sparing his life.
Apapa told reporters shortly after being released from protective custody by security operatives that he was in court to assert himself as the party’s Acting National Chairman and to confirm the status of the petition filed by the party’s candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, to challenge the outcome of the 2023 presidential election.
He told newsmen that he had before the court began its proceedings, sensed trouble, after the Director-General of Obi campaign organizations, Mr. Akin Osuntokun, refused to vacate a chair that was reserved for chairman of the party.
“I went to him and inquired to know on what capacity he was sitting on the seat. I told him that since I am in court today, I am the right person to sit on that chair.”
On how he was mobbed, Apapa, said: “They pounced on me, removed my cap and I am very sure that if not that you people (journalists) were there, I would have been dead by now.”
He accused Obi of being away that he would be attacked, disclosing that members of the presidential campaign group of the party had at a meeting that was held on Tuesday to broker peace among the warring factions, vowed to deal with him should he attend the court session.
“They threatened that if I appear in court that something would happen”, the embattled LP factional chairman added, saying there was no truth in the allegation that he collected N500million to scuttle Obi’s petition against the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
While branding Obi “a liar” for saying that he does not know him, Apapa said he actively participated in all the campaigns the party held before the presidential election and also flew back to Abuja with him in the same aircraft on one of the occasions.
“I want to tell the whole world that he is a liar. I have been in the party for over 21 years while he is not even up to one year in the party.
“I have never taken any kobo from anybody and I have challenged anyone that has any evidence to bring it forward”.
Insisting that he has contributed more to the party than Obi, Apapa, said it was not true that he was in court to withdraw the petition against Tinubu.
“Apart from money, what else does he (Obi) have that I don’t have?,” Apapa queried.
He accused Obi of refusing to respect the court order that suspended the Julius Abure-led executives of the party.
On the issue that led to the removal of his cap by angry youths that attacked him at the court premises, he said: “As you can see, I have recovered my cap. But as for the person that removed my cap, he will suffer till the end of his life.
“I saw him. He is a young chap but he will never grow old,” he added.