The National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Barrister Julius Abure, has been arrested.
Abure was arrested by the police on Wednesday, February 21, 2024 in Benin City, Edo State.
He was arrested along with the state chairman of the party, Kelly Ogbaloi.
National Publicity Secretary of LP, Obiora Ifoh, confirmed Abure and Ogbaloi’s arrest.
Ifoh said: “The Labour Party on Tuesday had a very successful delegate election in Benin ahead of the Party Primaries scheduled to hold 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.
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“Abure was however arrested after the meeting by a combined team of DSS and Police officers. Abure, Ogbaloi and their aides were also manhandled.
“Effort by some party leaders to have access to the Zone 5 headquarters was turned down due to the huge crowd of party supporters who were expressing their displeasure over the arrest of Abure.”
The opposition party stated that a Police source informed LP 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 members of the party loyal to Apapa camp.
“The source also confirmed that the arrest was not unconnected with 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,” he said.
