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Akinwande Soji-Ojo
There was drama at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal on Wednesday, following the appearance of a factional chairman of the Labour Party, Lamidi Apapa, at the Court of Appeal, venue of the sitting.
Shouts of ole (thief) rend the air as Apapa made his way out of the court.
Apapa, who had earlier created a scene inside the court, was leaving when a crowd surrounded him.
The politician, who was being shielded by policemen, struggled to get to where his car was parked, but the crowd kept trailing him, recording the incident with their phone.
The incident became more dramatic when someone in the crowd removed Apapa’s cap and fled.
He had attempted to speak with a group of journalists after the proceedings but the continuous noise disrupted the process.
Apapa eventually walked away but he was overshadowed by the crowd.
Earlier, Apapa, who is locked in a battle with Julius Abure, the suspended chairman of the party, had arrived the court for the case of a petition which Peter Obi, presidential Clcandidate of the party, filed against the victory of the President-elect, Bola Tinubu.
He made attempt to sit where Labour Party officials were and a shouting match ensued.
“Who are you?” a party official had asked Apapa, who replied: “You don’t know me? Look at the way you are talking, who are you too?”
As the argument continued, Apapa raised his voice, saying, “Get up, you can not sit down here!”
Secretary of the tribunal, Josephine Ekperobe, quickly moved in to restore normalcy.
Later when the Labour Party matter was called, the party’s Women Leader, Dudu Manoga, introduced herself to the court.
But when Apapa stood up to introduce himself as the national chairman, the cha I an of the tribunal, Justice Haruna Tsammani, requested him to stop the introduction as the court would not recognise the national chairman on record.
However, Abure whowas also in court, did not attempt to introduce himself.