The five judges at the electoral tribunal yesterday dismissed a lawyer for the Lamidi Apapa group. The judges avoided and expelled the lawyer from the courtroom for trying to hijack and preside over the Peter Obi petition. According to the Apapa faction’s spokesman, Abayomi Arabambi, the court is aware of the issue and does not necessarily object to their taking up the case.
He claimed that it would have been simple for them to ask the judges to review their demand once again by filing an appeal upstairs. He asserted that although the judges had stated that Peter Obi had seized jurisdiction over his petition, the party was entitled to choose its own legal representative for its presidential candidate. He claims that this is in accordance with the Supreme Court-adjudicated legal provision.
He explained, “You see, the five judges at the Tribunal ruled that since our presidential candidate has claimed jurisdiction and wants to represent both the Labour Party and himself, we should permit him.” That is why they sent our lawyer out of court. Now that we have the freedom to say yes or no, we may walk upstairs and appeal. We are free to continue exercising our rights within the party; it is not our responsibility to send thugs to court to cause trouble. And this is consistent with the Supreme Court’s ruling that political parties have the right to their own legal representation.
