National Chairman of Labour Party (LP), Julius Abure, has been arrested by the police in Benin City, Edo State. He was apprehended yesterday afternoon.
Spokesperson for Zone 5, DSP Tijani Momoh, who confirmed the development amid attempts by party supporters to frustrate the arrest, stated:
“There is a standing order for now that nobody should come in. Yes, the Labour Party National Chairman is here, and it has to do with a petition that was referred to this office from the Inspector General of Police. It was referred to Zone 5 from the IG’s office. He is with us, but I cannot give the contents of the petition right now.”
LP’s national spokesman, Obiora Ifoh, who also acknowledged the incident, noted: “The Labour Party, on Tuesday, had a very successful delegate election in Benin ahead of the party primaries scheduled for Friday. The party chairman, only this morning, along with governorship aspirants, also kept a scheduled security briefing with the Department of State Services (DSS).
“Abure was, however, arrested after the meeting by a combined team of DSS and police officers. Abure, the Edo State chairman of the party, Kelly Ogbaloi and their aides were also manhandled.”
Ifoh claimed that the arrest of LP officials was in connection with a protest letter by one of the expelled members loyal to the Lamidi Apapa camp, adding that it was to thwart the coming primary and interrupt the party’s participation in the governorship election to be held in the state later this year.
BESIDES, two gubernatorial and House of Representatives candidates in the 2023 general elections have sought Abure’s prosecution for alleged forgery.
The governorship standard-bearers for Ebonyi and Plateau states, Eze Oko Splendour and Yohana Yilpwan Margif, as well as House of Representatives flag-bearer for Orhionmwon/Uhunmwode Federal Constituency of Edo State, Imasuen Paul Murphy, insisted that they have established a case of forgery against him to warrant his detention by the police.
At a joint press conference yesterday in Abuja, the trio relieved their ordeals, explaining how they were reportedly substituted with their ‘forged signatures, documents and withdrawal letters’ allegedly submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
