APC behind Apapa’s disgraceful behaviour, part of their criminalization of our politics – Osuntokun

Akin Osuntokun, Director General of the Labour Party (LP), Presidential Campaign Council, on Wednesday, continued to see the finger of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), in the drama that played out at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT), while sharing insight into what really transpired.

 

Osuntokun, who appeared as a guest of Politics Today, a current affairs programme on Channels Television, described how Lamidi Apapa, self-acclaimed National Chairman of the the LP, had attempted to occupy one of the seats assigned to representatives of the party at the proceeding in Abuja.

 

Corroborating the exchange that appeared in a viral video, where Apapa was seen demanding that he vacated the seat for him to occupy, he said nothing outside someone who was sponsored from external forces could have engaged himself in such a disgraceful outing.

 

Incidentally, the 78-year-old, said to have been suspended as Deputy National Chairman (South) of the party, was whisked out of the courtroom by police officers amid boos from LP supporters outside, who attempted to lynch him outside the court premises.

 

Accusing him of obsession with recognition, he said: “As a matter of fact, the incident started from me. Our protocol lady usually reserves a four-seater for us – myself, [Peter] Obi and anybody… the party chairman. I think the man is obsessed with recognition because when they were there, that was the first question he came with. When I was sitting, he led his gang of people to come to me that he wants to sit where I am sitting.

 

“I said, I don’t know you. He said, Don’t you know me? I said, Who are you? That was what he said: You know me! Who are you? I said, Well, I know you but that should be as a nuisance. If you keep on pressing it upon me that you know me, it’s an aspect of the criminalisation of politics in Nigeria today.

 

“We are going to have a Senate President, if the APC were to be believed, who became Senator by an unprecedented judgment of the Supreme Court? He was contesting for presidency and Senate at the same time. After scaling that, now they are bringing it to rub it in our faces.”