The National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Julius Abure, found himself in the hands of law enforcement officers in Benin City, the Edo State capital.
Abure’s arrest took place on Wednesday afternoon, according to reports confirmed by Tijani Momoh, the spokesperson for the Nigeria Police Force Zone 5. However, details of Abure’s arrest were not disclosed at the time of reporting.
Videos circulating online depicted Abure being handled roughly by police officers while LP supporters attempted to prevent his arrest.
In a statement, LP national spokesman Obiora Ifoh acknowledged Abure’s arrest, mentioning the involvement of the Edo State Chairman of the party, Kelly Ogbaloi.
Ifoh explained, “The Labour Party recently held a successful delegate election in Benin, preceding the Party Primaries scheduled for Friday. The party chairman, along with gubernatorial aspirants, attended a scheduled security briefing with the Department of State Security.”
“However,” Ifoh continued, “Abure was apprehended after the meeting by a joint team of DSS and Police officers. Abure, Ogbaloi, and their aides were subjected to mistreatment.”
Ifoh alleged that the arrests were linked to a protest letter by an expelled party member loyal to the Lamidi Apapa camp. He claimed that the arrests aimed to disrupt the primary process and potentially hamper the party’s involvement in the gubernatorial election.
In a video post, the Deputy National Chairman of the Party, Dr. Ayo Olurunfemi, asserted that no intimidation from any quarter could halt the party’s efforts to establish a Labour Party government in the state.
The LP’s national chairman has been embroiled in a crisis with the party’s suspended National Treasurer, Oluchi Opara, who accused Abure of financial misconduct, forgery, and misappropriation of funds from the 2023 presidential election.
Abure and the party have refuted the allegations, while Opara insists that the national chairman should be held accountable for both naira and dollar donations received by the party during the last election.
LP presidential candidate in the last election, Peter Obi, announced that external auditors would scrutinize the party’s financial records.
Recently, the Labour Party suspended Opara for six months, countering her claims of abuse against the party leadership. The party asserted that it only received N1.2 billion in donations from members and sales of forms to aspirants during the 2023 polls, accusing Opara of being sponsored by individuals seeking to undermine the party.
