‘INEC Acted As If It Was At War With Us’ – LP Legal Adviser

The National Legal Adviser of the Labour Party (LP), Kehinde Edun has condemned the Lamidi Apapa faction for claiming the party did not pay party agents in the 2023 presidential election.

Edun described the statement of the faction’s spokesman, Abayomi Arabambi during an interview with Punch as lies.

Speaking on the issue of not presenting documents from polling units at the presidential tribunal, Edun noted that the ones requested by the court are from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and not party agents.

He further stated that the party faced that issue because INEC acted as if it was at war with the party.

Edun, in an interview with Punch, said, “That (not paying agents) is a lie. What was required to prove our case was the one in INEC’s custody. For it to be admissible, it must come from the proper channel. So it is not true. The court also knew where these things were. We are only deceiving ourselves.

“We applied for INEC to produce them and the court gave an order. But INEC refused to bring them. It was as if INEC was at war with us. Everybody was under pressure including the court and INEC. The law is that you have to prove your case and the court is only concerned with what is before it.

“Nobody pays attention to the Apapa group. They are a group of suspended former members who are now doing the bidding of their paymasters. So it is expected they will be happy with the verdict of the tribunal. As far as we are concerned, they are not members or a faction of the Labour Party. They are an extension of the ruling party who they are working for. They are rejoicing with their paymaster.”

Obi’s media aide, Tai Obasi, speaking on the same issue said, “You know what the Apapa faction is all about. It is part of the old order we are fighting to change and struggling to ensure Nigeria becomes a new Nigeria. You can see those who don’t want things to be done right. Apapa and his group are the comedy aspect of the party.

“The fact is that you cannot stop halfway when you want to do something right. You have to see it to the end. The judgment at the tribunal was not right. That’s why we are heading to the Supreme Court.”

The chief spokesman of the Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Council, Yunusa Tanko, simply said, “We won’t want to join issues with the Apapa faction. Let them continue with their allegation. We will see how it can take them. They can’t do more damage than what they have done already.”