The Lamidi Apapa faction of the Labour Party (LP) has berated the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, over the call for the stoppage of the inauguration of the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, on May 29.
Recall that Obi, in his petition to challenge the victory of Tinubu in the February 25 presidential election, said the former Governor of Lagos State should not be sworn in pending the determination of the petitions before the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal.
But in a statement on Wednesday, the factional spokesman of the party, Abayomi Arabambi, said the swearing-in of Tinubu will not have any impact on the case before the presidential election.
Arabambi stressed that the prayer of the LP flagbearer is not supported by the Electoral Act and the Constitution of Nigeria, adding that refusal to swear in Tinubu as President will create a vacuum in the system.
He asserted that whether the President-elect is sworn in or not, there is a right way to remove him legally if it is found out that he was not duly elected.
Citing sections 136 and 146 of the constitution, Arabambi said only death and permanent incapacity can stop a President-elect from being sworn in, stressing that the law does not provide for an interim president in this circumstance.
However, the LP factional spokesman stated that the party would continue to pursue its case in court.
He said, “Even Peter Obi once benefitted from the system of being sworn into office despite pending petitions filed against him before the tribunal by Andy Uba.
“The Law has to be complied with, which is to swear in Tinubu as president, and if anybody wants to change the narrative, they will have to change the law.
“Labour Party warns all Obidiots clandestinely parading themselves as LP members and other Obidients who may be agitating that the President-elect should not be sworn in to have a rethink as Labour Party will not support any unlawful means of agitations or change of government violently.”
