Imo Guber: Uzodimma Wants To Hijack Our Party, LP Raises Alarm After Police ‘Invasion’ Of Secretariat

Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force have reportedly invaded the Imo State Secretariat of the Labour Party following a Court Order.

The national secretary of the Labour Party (LP), Umar Farouk, disclosed this on Monday to the press in Owerri, Imo State capital.

Farouk accused the governor of the state, Hope Uzodinma, of drafting “unauthorised policemen” and “thugs” from the government house to invade its Secretariat.

The party leadership expressed shock over the situation, revealing that the development was similar to a previous occurrence on March 15 when security operatives stormed the secretariat for no specified reasons.

He added, “Unlike the March invasion, where no reason was given by the state government on why it took such unlawful action against our political party, this time, they said that the action was due to a Court Order.

“But as at the moment, no such Order to our knowledge was given. No Order has been presented to us by the court or its agents. The Policemen presently occupying our Secretariat have not even shown us the Order. At the moment, all our officials and staff have been barred from accessing the Secretariat.

“We have contacted the office of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) on the ongoing development in the state, and it has been confirmed that the Force is not aware of any security breach whatsoever in the state to warrant the occupation of our Secretariat.

“The Police have also informed us that it has not detailed any of their officers and men to the Labour Party Secretariat in Imo state; and that the officers may have been drafted from the State House in the state.”

Farouk noted that the party is not oblivious to the efforts of the governor to “hijack the leadership of the Party” in the state.

“These actions have confirmed the information available to us of plots by the governor to plant some surrogates wearing the garments of aspirants in the party. This game plan, as archaic as it seems, has been detected and punctured, the consequences being the aggression unleashed on the party by the state government,” he said.

THE WHISTLER gathered that the Imo State Police Command is yet to receive an official report to that effect, however efforts to reach its spokesperson, Henry Okoye, proved abortive as of press time.

The state is scheduled to conduct its governorship election on November 11 and Governor Uzodinma will be seeking re-election on the All Progressives Congress (APC) platform.

The Labour Party, on the other hand, is said to have a plethora of aspirants contesting for its governorship ticket with Dr Sam Amadi, former Chairman National Electricity Regulatory Commission, as one of the top aspirants.

Others include Major General Lincoln Jack Ogunewe (retd), Senator Athan Achonu, Martin Agbaso, Chief Joseph Ukaegbu, Dr Tochi J.Ehirim, Rt Hon Ike Ibe, Rt Hon Kelechi Nwagwu, Dr Basil Maduka, Engr Chinedu Amadi, AIG Charles Agomuo (retd), Capt David Mbamara and Chief C.Ishiguzo.