Arrest Of LP SE Top Officials: Abure’s NWC Kicks, As Gov Otti Accuses Them Of Impersonation

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

The Julius Abure- led leadership of the Labour Party has raised alarm over the arrest of its National Vice Chairman, South East Zone, Comrade Ceekay Igara, and the potent threat posed to the lives of its officials in Abia state.

The Party, on Saturday night, October 19, 2024, claimed that Igara who was the immediate past Abia state LP Chairman, was arrested at a meeting in Aba, and whisked away by Operatives of the Rapid Response Squad RRS.

This is just as the Governor Alex Otti-backed LP leadership in the State informed that Igara and others are guilty of impersonation and extortion.

The Abure-led NWC  alleged that the invasion of the meeting venue, Enitona Hotels, Aba, and subsequent arrest of the South East Vice Chairman was allegedly on the orders of the Abia State Governor Dr Alex Otti.

In a viral video, the party alleged that over 20 masked Security Operatives invaded the meeting venue, and arrested several party faithful who were deliberating on the forthcoming Local Government Election in the State.

The armed masked security personnel were said to have ordered every one inside the meeting hall to remain silent while they proceeded to arrest Prince G.O. Ndubueze, the Secretary of the Party’s Local Government election Committee.

However, apprehensive party members were said to have resisted the move preferring instead to accompany Ndubueze to the Police Area Command, Aba, where the Operatives came from.

Speaking with the Media Ndubueze ,who is also the Chairman of the Interim Committee leadership of the Party in Abia, recently appointed by the Abure led National Working Committee, NWC, accused Governor Otti of being behind the disruption of the party’s meeting ,and the arrest of its officials.

He, however, vowed not to be cowed by the Governor or any other persons .

” I didnt get any warrant of arrest from anywhere. I don’t even know whether they are real Policemen or not. But as a law abiding citizen, I am going with the Police.

However, I will not bow to intimidation from Governor Alex Otti. We won’t allow him to impose candidates in this Local Government election.” Prince Ndubueze said.

But reacting to the development  the Emmanuel Otti-led Abia SWC accused Igara of impersonation, and acts of extortion.

In a statement on Sunday, October 20, Otti claimed that the arrest of Igara stemmed from a petition to the Police and other security agencies against his alleged extortion of party members and impersonation.

“Mr Igara’s arrest stems from a petition we wrote to the Police against him, and others over their acts of extortion and impersonation of the State Chapter of the party.

“Igara, by the constitution of our party, has no legal right to usurp or impersonate the office of the chairman, having ceased to be the State Chairman after his election as the South East National Vice Chairman March this year.

“No law court has invalidated the existence of the Acting Chairman Emmanuel Otti and his Executive members ,hence it was wrong and illegal for Mr Igara to impersonate the Chairman and his executive by carrying our their legally recognized functions without their consent or approval ..

“We are also aware that following the petition, he had been invited by the police to which he refused to honour.

“While we recognize and respect the judgment which recognized Barr Julius Abure as the National Chairman ,Abure’s faction which Igara is part of has no right to flagrantly ignore the appeal and the motion for a stay of execution that had been duly filed against them by purportedly dissolving and imposing a new Caretaker leadership on the Abia state chapter, against the provisions of the law and Constitution of our party.

“Again the Abia State Chapter has gone further to secure a validly issued order of court which restrains Abure. Igara and others from those activities which prompted our petition to the police”, part of the statement reads

It  will be recalled that the Abure led NWC after its victory at the Abuja  Federal High Court last last week  ,which validated the controversial Nnewi Convention , dissolved the Governor Otti backed Emmanuel Ezenwa Otti led LP leadership in Abia state .

In its place ,Abure appointed an interim SWC headed by  Ndubueze.

But while ruling in an ex-  parte application filed by the Emmanuel Otti led SWC ,Hon Justice T Eruba of an Abia state High Court sitting in Umuahia ,on Thursday October 17,2024 restrained Ndubueze and others from further parading themselves as SWC members of the party in the state until the hearing and determination of the motion on notice .

The Court also restrained the Abia State Independent Electoral Commission ABSIEC and Inspector General of Police from having any dealings with the Dr G O Ndubeze led SWC.

The Enitona Hotel Aba meeting by Ndubueze and Igara may have been perceived by the opposing side as running foul of the restraining order of the court.

A fierce battle over which group has the legal authority to submit list of the party’s candidate to the ABSIEC has been raging between the Abure led faction  and the Governor Otti backed  Esther Nenadi Usman led 29 member interim NWC.

As at the time of reporting, the two groups were still  having separate list of candidates with the  electoral body as regards the local council polls

In fact, there are unconfirmed reports that  Governor Otti is about to adopt the Zenith Labour Party, ZLP, as the new platform for his preferred candidates for the November 2, Local Council Polls.

There are very strong indications ,that the Governor may be borrowing a leaf from Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers state who, owing to the leadership struggle within the fold of PDP in the state, used  the Action Peoples Party APP to cut off Nyesom Wike during the just concluded Local  Government election in Rivers State.

The Abure-led NWC in a statement issued by Dr Ayo Olorunfemi, Deputy National Chairman expressed shock and disbelief on why Its South East Vice Chairman who played a pivotal role in the 2023 elections, will be arrested on the alleged alleged orders of Governor Otti.

“Labour Party is at loss over what may have caused the same Governor who a few months ago stood by the party during our convention, but suddenly turned to launch the worst offensive at the leadership.

“He hosted extended Stakeholders meeting in Abia state and thereafter formed a Caretaker Committee hoping to wrest power from our leadership.

“He, unsuccessfully, shopped for courts to grant him some frivolous demands ,all to no avail

“It is surprising that he has resorted to introducing brute and anachronistic form of political intimidation .

“The arrest of our Zonal Chairman is the height of his political savager and an indication of the kind person Governor Otti really is.

“It is often said that power does not change a man, rather power brings out the true nature of a man….

“We were fooled by his humane posture, not knowing that he was just masquerading his tyrannical true person.

“We are therefore ,demanding the immediate release of Comrade Ceekay Igara from the. custody of the police or charge him to court within the next twenty four hours as specified by the law”, part of the LP statement reads.