The drama witnessed at the Presidential Election Petition Court in Abuja, earlier today, May 17, took another twist as Labour Party factional leader, Lamidi Apapa was booed out of the court premises. It was reported earlier that Apapa and some members of his faction fought over seats for Labour Party officials in the courtroom. A shouting match ensued when he tried to take the seats.
Normalcy was restored after Secretary of the Presidential election court, Josephine Ekperobe, intervened. Apapa was subsequently remanded by a Judge and forced to sit elsewhere. Shortly after Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi’s petition against the 2023 election and President-Elect, Bola Tinubu, was adjourned due to the failure of parties in the petition to agree on documents among other reasons, Apapa tried speaking to reporters. 
However, shouts of Ole, a Yoruba word for thief, rend the air and disrupted the interview. He hurriedly tried leaving the court and was shielded by policemen as he struggled to get to where his car was parked. Here are videos from the scene below… They have booed Apapa from the premises 🤣🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/Ngx3iDweqK — Esther Umoh (@EstherUmoh10) May 17, 2023 “Apapa Ole”🤣🤣🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/MaBD2CadDs — Esther Umoh (@EstherUmoh10) May 17, 2023
Lamidi was first spotted sitting outside the courtroom early this morning with some members of his entourage. Ladies and gentlemen I present to you, your favorite man and his friends lamidi apapa sitting outside the court 🫠🤭 His shoes are giving🤌🔥 pic.twitter.com/mmeqd2TV0c — Weyimi B. Lube 𓃵 (@_weyimi) May 17, 2023 Shortly after the video was shared, he was seen confronting some members of the party inside the courtroom before the day’s activity began. Eyewitnesses revealed Lamidi directed his anger mainly at the Director General of Peter Obi’s presidential campaign council, Akin Osuntokun, for sitting at a spot he claimed was reserved for him and other members of his faction. Somebody was embarrassed at the court house today. 🤣🤣 Lamidi Apapa, don’t be angry🤭🤣 pic.twitter.com/4Gx53wr7PH — Weyimi B. Lube 𓃵 (@_weyimi) May 17, 2023 Lamidi Apapa and his fellow paraders are in the court room demanding to sit down.
Political activist, Reno Omokri, cautions opposition parties against engaging in social media fights as he believes it would not influence the court decisions made by election petition tribunals. This comes ahead of the presidential election petitions court fixed for Monday, May 8 for the hearing of the petitions challenging Bola Tinubu‘s emergence as the president-elect. Reno Omokri urged opposition parties to pursue peace while he emphasized that the court’s declaration of the President would determine the future of the country. He made this known on Twitter on Saturday where he encouraged Nigerians to identify a cause that they can contribute to for the betterment of the nation. “Realise and accept that elections are over. The only hope for a change in who the next President will be is the courts. Fighting supporters of other parties on social media won’t affect the judicial outcome. So, let us heal and behave like human beings with a common destiny. The election brought about identities like Obidients, BATists, and Kwankwasiyya. Now, we need to step out of that limited circle and resume our original identity as Nigerians. Instead of abuse, let us amuse each other. Rather than curse, let us chart a new cause,” he added. 
According to the party, approaching the tribunals to withdraw all the cases lodged by Labour Party candidates across the board is the height of subterfuge and treachery, and Nigerians will resist this ploy to plunge the nation into unnecessary turmoil. The statement read; “Daily, the evil intention of the breakaway faction of the Labour Party, led by the suspended Deputy National Chairman, Lamidi Apapa continues to manifest and just this morning, our legal team was confronted by the stark revelation that these men have advanced their plot by approaching all the tribunals where our numerous candidates lodged their election petitions arising from the recently held general election. “Alongside Lamidi Apapa on the plot to frustrate Labour Party’s destined victory in the tribunals and also to derail the fledging democracy are some of the suspended members including the Samuel Akingbade, Gbenga Daramola, Anselem Eragbe and Abayomi Arabambi erstwhile National Legal Adviser, National Financial Secretary, National Youth Leader and National Publicity Secretary respectively amongst others. “Recall that the leadership of the Labour Party has been swimming through the murky waters of conspiracy, treachery and sabotage orchestrated by these former officers of the party. 
