The Kaduna Labour Party (LP) has heightened the crisis within the party as it separates itself from the Lamidi Apapa-faction of the party.
This development took place on Saturday, 6th May, after a State Executive Council (SEC) emergency meeting held in the state.
Also, the party has debarred three of its chieftains for anti-party activity. They are deputy governorship candidate of the party in the last Kaduna State election, Hon. Bashir Idris Aliyu, its senatorial candidate, Michael Ayuba Auta, and another chieftain, Ibrahim Sidi Bamali.
Shortly after the meeting, the party’s PRO, Yusuf Idris, read an eight-point official announcement to the press. He said those suspended attended the Bauchi National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the Lamidi-Apapa caucus.
According to him, the party’s decision to debar the chieftains will be sent to the party’s National Working Committee and other relevant bodies for further action.
The spokesman added that the members of the party affirmed their loyalty to the LP state chairman, Hon. Auwal Tafoki, urging the public to reject any imposter.
A part of the press release 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;
“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.
“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.”
In addition, Jonathan Asake, the LP Governorship candidate of the state, noted that the current crisis in the party was aimed at undermining the Obi-Datti mandate in the recent Presidential election.
