The Labour Party has advised its state chairmen not to join the faction led by Lamidi Apapa, unless they were prepared to lose their positions.
Deputy National Chairman, Mrs. Ladi Iliya, issued the warning at a conference by the leadership of the party, which included all state chairmen and National Working Committee (NWC) members in Abuja, yesterday.
She said the Apapa-led group was a set of suspended members who had been paid to cause havoc and distract the party.
“We are here to address ourselves and tell the nation that Labour Party is one and we are united. If people that have committed an offence and have been asked to stay aside, went through the disciplinary committee and they were found guilty and suspended and they went and formed another group, common sense should tell you that these people are just doing it to distract attention.
“They have been paid to do their bidding and they are doing it and we are following them. We have seen the hotels where some of them are staying, and those hotels they know that they cannot afford them on their own. We know where the so-called acting chairman is staying and it’s a shame that after claiming that you were one of those that built this party in 2002, you are part of those again trying to dismantle the party. I think it is a shame because for us, Labour Party is a big family. If there is anything, there are due processes which we have followed in the party.”
“We know there are few, maybe one or two that decided to go on that side because of money. We know that some people were given two million, others were given five million. How long will it take you, for you to sell your birth right because this is where we belong and I want to say that anybody, be it Secretary or chairman that dares to go and join them, loses his seat. Whoever we find dining with those people, we are not going take it lightly and I think I am speaking the minds of the chairmen that are here and I have the endorsement of the National Working Committee.”
