In the last few weeks, Nigerians’ attention has shifted from the legal battle instituted at the presidential election Tribunal by the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Gregory Obi. The focus of the citizenry has moved towards the leadership tussle that has engulfed the ‘Obidient’ party. But in his view, the factional youth leader of the party, Prince Kennedy Ahanotu, has said that the whole melodrama is targeted at crippling the court case by Obi to retrieve his mandate.

It will be recalled that a few days back, the presidential candidate had said he was under pressure to leave the country. In a tweet, the former Anambra State governor had noted that the pressure on him was intense, but he won’t bow to the pressure. Instead of this, he said he will remain in the country to reclaim the mandate he believed was given to him by the Nigerian voters at the presidential poll.

But observers have been quick to point out that Obi, as the standard-bearer of the Labour Party, can only continue to fight in the court when his party remains undivided behind him. The pundits noted that the LP presidential candidate apparently needs a stable platform to stand and rest on while he continues his legal redress in court, because a troubled house will undoubtedly jeopardise his chances of defeating his much stronger opponents at the Election petition tribunal.

It has been observed that in a bid to fuel trouble in the LP, series of allegations have been thrown at its Chairman, Mr Julius Abure and three other members of his executives by an insider, the National Publicity Secretary, Mr Abayomi Arabambi, who has been suspended from the party over alleged anti-party activities.

But Arabambi has maintained that the principles and ideals that the LP stood for have been eroded by the actions of four persons which he said were the National Chairman of the party, Abure, the party’s National Secretary, Umar Farouk Ibrahim, its National Organizing Secretary, Clement Ojukwu and its National Treasurer, Oluchi Opara.

Arabambi premised his allegations leveled against the four persons on forgery.

He said the Court document, a letter dated 15/07/2022 with the Subject, “Letter of voluntary withdrawal” by Mr. Eze Oko as governor of Ebonyi State addressed to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), was allegedly forged.

Also, the police in a correspondence to Abayomi, the suspended National Publicity Secretary on the 9th of March, 2023 on paragraph 3 item 7, said, “That the Analysis of signature sent to the forensic department revealed that the signature was forged.” It described the letter as being “comprehensively false and forged.”

“The Form EC 11B which draws life from Section 33 of the Electoral Act, 2022 on which the New Candidate Nkwegu Edward Okereke replaced Eze Oko was also alleged to have been forged also.

“Another Form EC 9 in the Commissioner of Oath, sworn to at the Abakaliki State High Court on 02/08/2022 was also alleged to have been forged.”

From Abakaliki in Ebonyi State, the allegation shifted to Edo State, the home state of the LP Chairman as it was discovered that the letter of voluntary withdrawal of Imasuen Paul Murphy, the Orhionmwon/Uhumwonde candidate sworn to at the “High Court Registry Abuja,” also did not survive administrative scrutiny. (Sunday Tribune)