The pre-hearing of the appeal filed by Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi against President-elect Bola Tinubu was postponed by the Presidential Election Appeal Court today (Wednesday, May 17, 2023) to Friday, May 19, 2023.
A factional Chairman, Mr. Lamidi Apapa, was taken into protective custody by security personnel attached to the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which is where the Presidential Election Petition Court is located, while factions of Obi’s party engaged in court battles.
The youths who had gathered at the court to observe the petition that Mr. Obi filed to contest the results of the presidential election held on February 25 surrounded Apapa.
Apapa tried to address the reporters as she left the courthouse shortly after the petition was postponed till Friday for the pre-hearing session under the leadership of Justice Haruna Tsammani.
After Peter Obi’s main attorney, Dr. Livy Uzoukwu (SAN), had completed speaking to newsmen about what had happened during the court session, he took a position in front of the waiting cameras.
A group of young people who called themselves as “Obidients” pushed Apapa away from the cameras as he prepared to answer questions and insisted that he had no authority to speak for the party.
His ‘Agbada’ was torn during the uproar that followed, and someone pulled his cap off of his head as Apapa was shoved back and forth by the irate teenagers.
Armed security personnel had to step in to free the seemingly defenseless factional LP from the mob’s grasp.
He was then brought into protective custody by court-affiliated police officers.
Apapa was still with the security personnel as of 12:29 when this report was submitted.
Apapa’s earlier attempt to introduce himself as a party representative resulted in a minor commotion at the court.
As soon as the courtroom’s main door was opened, he moved toward the row of chairs set aside for dignitaries and petitioners.
When Apapa attempted to occupy one of the chairs, Obi had already taken a seat. However, Apapa was stopped by party members, who were led by a guy who was later identified as the LP’s National Youth Leader.
The factional LP Chairman moved to the row of seats designated for members of the public after observing that, despite his best efforts, he would not be permitted to sit close to Obi.
You may remember that Apapa is currently embroiled in a legal battle with party officials who oversaw the primary election that resulted in Obi being chosen as the party’s flag bearer.
All of the attorneys who were defending Obi were already ordered to appear before him for a briefing.
