By Sunday Aborisade in Abuja
A former Deputy National Chairman of the Labour Party, Mr. Calistus Uju Okafor, has said Mr. Peter Obi, was not yet in possession of the valid Labour Party presidential ticket.
He expressed confidence that the outcome of the case he instituted against the Julius Abure-led national working committee of the party, which produced Obi as the flagbearer, would soon, nullify the entire exercise.
Okafor, who is currently challenging the constitutionality of the Abure-led national working committee of the party in court insisted that, Obi’s claim of being the presidential candidate, was still highly contentious.
He stated this in an interview with journalists in Abuja yesterday.
The former LP deputy national chairman, who vowed not to withdraw his case in Court, added that a fresh hearing on the suit would come up at a Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday, July 8.
He said: “I have read in the news media, where Dr. Doyin Okupe was quoted to have said that I was demanding for N48m for the lawyers, who have been representing me in Courts before I would withdraw my case against the Labour Party.
“I am, however, happy that he did not say that I have collected the said amount from anybody or group of people. I have also read the mischievous claim of a group that I had collected N15m draft to withdraw the case I instituted against the Labour Party. This is also not correct.
“I am fighting for my right, I’m fighting for Justice. Mr. Peter Obi left the Peoples Democratic Party, because of the injustice carried out against him there. If Peter Obi could dump the PDP for LP in order to get justice, he should consider the case of someone, who is looking for Justice.
“I have not been bought over by anyone. I want to let Nigerians especially, the Igbo people know that I did not go to Court, because of Peter Obi; I instituted my case in Court on December 21 2021 and 0bi joined the Labour Party on May 29, 2022.
“I was in court in January, February, March and April. It was after Obi joined in May that people started saying that I had been bought.
“Obi is fighting to become president while I am fighting to become the chairman of the LP based on the provisions of the constitution, which empowers me to act as chairman if the chairman is removed or died.
“Obi is an Igbo man like me. He has never offended me. I have no reason to fight him.
“When the supporters of Obi came to me and demanded settlement. I asked where we would start from? I asked them whether it’s about the N48m I had spent on the case so far that they want to pay.
“On the 30th of June, I went to court with my lawyers including SANs. I have sold my house in Gwarinpa. I am ready to sell another house in Wuse 2 to continue fighting.
“If anyone thinks that anybody is sponsoring me, let that person have it in mind that when I started this battle, I did not see Obi in the picture. If Obi thinks he can come to the Labour Party and carry out injustice against me, like the way he was treated in the PDP, he is making a great mistake.
“If anyone also believes that I have collected money from Peter Obi, the person is making a mistake, because I’m in Court. I have no hard feelings against anybody and I will not allow anyone to intimidate me with SANS.
“My case is coming up again on July 8. I have brought in two SANs. I know that there are people benefiting from the current situation, who are making Peter Obi not to see the reality of life. They didn’t allow him to come into reality that he has no ticket with which to contest next year’s election yet.
“There are people telling Obi not to mind me thinking that my case had no merit. He (Obi) is paying lawyers, hundreds of millions instead of him to resolve the crisis in the Labour Party.
“This is a man who wants to change the narratives politically, who wants to do something differently but he could not settle the crisis he met on the ground. He cannot resolve the Labour party crisis and he wants to resolve the problem of Nigeria. If anyone wants to crucify me for fighting for my my right, I’m also prepared to fight on, even to the logical end.” (ThisDay)
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