….Political witch-hunts – LP
Protesters on Wednesday besieged the Zone 5 headquarters of the Police Command in Benin City, following the arrest of Julius Abure, national chairman of the Labour Party,
Obiora Ifoh, national publicity secretary of the Labour Party has revealed. According to a statement by the party, Kelly Agbaloi, the Edo State Chairman of the party was also arrested.
Ifoh disclosed that the Labour Party had a very successful delegate election in Benin on Tuesday ahead of the Party Primaries scheduled to be held on Friday.
“The party chairman only this morning along with party governorship aspirants also kept a scheduled security briefing with the Department of the State Security,” Ifoh said in a statement.
According to him, Abure was arrested after the meeting by a combined team of DSS and Police officers. He noted that Abure, Ogbaloi, and their aides were also manhandled.
Efforts by some party leaders to have access to the Zone 5 headquarters were turned down due to the huge crowd of party supporters expressing their displeasure over the arrest of Abure.
Although reasons for the arrest were not immediately available at the time of this report, Ifoh said ” A Police source informed the party officials and other governorship aspirants at the gate of the police headquarters that the arrest was in connection with a protest letter by one of the expelled member of the party loyal to Lamidi Apapa camp.
“The source also said that the arrest was not unconnected to the ongoing party primary and the possible candidate that will emerge which the state government is vehemently opposed to.
“He informed that the arrest was to frustrate the primary process and possibly interrupt the party’s participation in the governorship election.
“The Deputy National Chairman of the Party, Ayo Olurunfemi in a video post said that no form of intimidation from the highest quarters can stop the party from concluding the process leading to the emergence of the Labour Party government in the state,” the statement said
