Acting national chairman of the Labour Party, Lamidi Apapa, has accused the presidential candidate of the party, Peter Obi, and erstwhile chairman, Julius Abure, of sending thugs to assault and humiliate him in court.

Mr Apapa, speaking on Arise TV on Thursday, said he had been made aware of a message that circulated threatening to “deal with him” if he appeared in court.

Mr Apapa said he is accusing Messrs Obi and Abure of orchestrating the assault based on their personal behaviour toward him and non-reaction to the assault.

“…there was a text message from one of the groups that if I should appear they are going to deal with me and they actually executed that text. That’s why I accuse Peter Obi and Aburi to have committed the act…”

When asked how his insistence on appearing as the party’s acting national chairman may reflect on the party’s petition before the tribunal, Mr Apapa said he was being orderly and only supporters of Mr Obi had disrupted the court.

“Are they not the supporters of Obi that he brought to the court that they should beat me up?” he said.

Mr Apapa is insisting that he is next in line to act as the chairman of the party following a court ruling that barred Mr Abure from parading himself as the party’s leader. Having spent more than 21 years in the party and as the only serving elected deputy national chairman, Mr Apapa says the Obi/Abure camp is unlawfully and unjustifiably denying him recognition as the party’s leader.