SaharaReporters gathered that the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) had stood up to represent the party at the tribunal when Obi’s case was called up but the judges led by Justice Haruna Tsamani denied him from making an appearance for the party.
The Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT) on Friday reprimanded the counsel for the acting National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Lamidi Apapa, who indicated an appearance at the tribunal hearing the petition filed by the party and its presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi.
SaharaReporters gathered that the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) had stood up to represent the party at the tribunal when Obi’s case was called up but the judges led by Justice Haruna Tsamani denied him from making an appearance for the party.
The judge held that the court cannot admit two legal representatives in the case, especially as Apapa’s lawyer was not the initiator of the petition.
The Labour Party on its Twitter handle claimed Apapa’s lawyer was walked out of the court by the judges.
However, SaharaReporters confirmed that whereas the lawyer was denied appearance, he was not walked out of the court as claimed by the Labour Party.
The panel said judges cannot have two legal representatives in the court since he was not the one who filed the petition.
SaharaReporters earlier reported that Apapa fulfilled his promise to be at the tribunal on Friday as he attended after he was attacked on Wednesday by loyalists of the suspended National Chairman of the party, Julius Abure, in the court.
Apapa and his team were at the tribunal on Wednesday but it led to a mild drama as he was attacked by some loyalists of Obi and Abure.
Despite Wednesday’s incident, Apapa had vowed to return to the tribunal on Friday.
SaharaReporters had reported that Wednesday’s drama started when Apapa walked into the court premises alongside some of his supporters and attempted to sit where some factional Labour Party officials were already seated.