Abure’s Arrest: No Form Of Intimidation Can Stop Us In Edo State – LP Says

The Labour Party (LP) on Wednesday, February 21, 2024 declared that no form of intimidation from the highest quarters can stop it from concluding the process leading to the emergence of the Party’s government in Edo State.

LP in a statement while reacting to the arrest of its National Chairman, Mr. Julius Abure in Benin, Edo State, said that the arrest of Abure and other Party leaders was to frustrate the primary process and possibly interrupt the party’s participation in the governorship election.

The Party said that information available to it indicated 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.

The Party further said that it was informed that the arrest was to frustrate the primary process and possibly interrupt the party’s participation in the governorship election.

These were contained in a statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, Mr. Obiora Ifoh, who also said that protest erupted in Benin following the arrest of its National Chairman, Mr Abure and the Edo State chairman by Police and personnel of the Department of State Services (DSS), two days to party governorship Primaries in the State.

Ifoh said that heavy crowd of protesters on Wednesday besieged the Zone 5 headquarters of the Police Command in Benin City over the arrest of the National Chairman of the Labour Party, Mr Julius Abure and the state chairman of the Party, Mr Kelly Ogbaloi.

He said that the LP on Tuesday had a very successful delegate election in Benin ahead of the Party Primaries scheduled to hold on Friday.

In the words of IFoh; “The party chairman only this morning along with party governorship aspirants also kept a scheduled security briefing with the Department of the State Services.

“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.

“However, a Police source informed the party officials and other governorship aspirants at the gate of the police headquarters that the arrest was in connection to a protest letter by one of the expelled member of the party loyal to Apapa dissident camp.

“The Deputy National Chairman of the Party, Dr. Ayo Olurunfemi in 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,” LP stated.