Akin Osuntokun, director-general of the Labour Party (LP)
presidential campaign council, says the judiciary is responsible for the
instability in the party.
On April 5, a federal capital territory (FCT) high court
issued an order restraining Julius Abure from parading himself as the national
chairman of the party.
Ruling on an ex parte application, Hamza Muazu, the
presiding judge, also restrained Farouk Ibrahim, national secretary; Clement
Ojukwu, national organising secretary; and Oluchi Opara, treasurer; from acting
as national officers of the party.
Subsequently, Lamidi Apapa, the deputy national chairman,
took over the affairs of the party, citing the court’s judgement.
On April 18, Yunusa Tanko, the LP presidential campaign
spokesperson, announced the suspension of Apapa for “anti-party activities.”
Speaking on Sunrise Daily, a Channels Television programme,
on Thursday, Osuntokun said the judge who gave the restraining order made a
wrong decision.
He said his actions are the reasons why the LP is in
turmoil.
“There is nothing
going on there other than the crisis of the judiciary. It is a judge that made
a judgement that is now responsible for creating a crisis in the Labour Party,”
he said.
“There was a judge here who in his discretion said that
Abure — who has been chairman for the primaries of the presidential and
governorship candidates — should no longer parade himself as the chairman.
“He could have made a more logical position of what was
brought before him. We have now come to see that judges in Nigeria rely more on
technicalities, evasive tactics, and scapegoatism to take very crucial
positions.
“It is the judge who gave this judgement that is causing
this crisis right now. Judges have options, he could have said to let him
remain in office, while the court proceeding goes on. There is nothing that
says you must now tell him to step aside.
“He had the options
but decided to go for the one that will introduce crisis to the party. Those
who brought the case are mischiefs, they are looking for an opening to introduce
their mischiefs.
“I don’t know what purpose it serves the interest of justice
or the stability of the party or the politics of Nigeria for you to say that
the man should now step down. The only beneficiaries of that judgement are
those who brought the case.”
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