On Wednesday, the names proposed as candidates for the Labour Party were rejected by the court in a dramatic courtroom proceeding at the Presidential Election Petitions Court in Abuja.

Parties are required to make an appearance announcement when the judges enter the courtroom, as is customary in court proceedings. This makes it possible for the case’s attorneys to act similarly.

Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s nominee for president, stood up during the proceedings on Wednesday to declare his presence as the first petitioner. Following him, Mrs. Dudu Manuga, the national leader of the Labour Party’s women, made an announcement about her appearance as the second party representative.

Lamidi Apapa, the Labour Party’s factional chairman, however, stood up to introduce himself as they continued to speak with Obi and Manuga.

Despite not being given a microphone, he declared himself the chairman of the party and interrupted Manuga, asserting that he was the true representative of the Labour Party.

The five-member court panel, presided over by Justice Haruna Tsammani, made it clear how they felt about the way things were going. The judge stated unequivocally that they would not accept anyone claiming to speak for the Labour Party. Despite not mentioning any party representatives, he acknowledged Obi’s presence as the petition’s initial signer. 

Julius Abure, the national chairman of the Labour Party, was present in court but did not announce his appearance.

This development stems from a crisis that arose when two separate courts in Abuja and Edo issued conflicting orders regarding the recognition of different leadership factions within the political party.