National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Mr Julius Abure, has been arrested by security operatives in Edo State.
Abure was arrested on Wednesday, by operatives of the Zone 5 police headquarters in Benin, a few days before the party’s primary election in Edo State.
It was gathered that his arrest was the result of a petition forwarded to the Zone from the office of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) in Abuja.
Abure was captured in viral videos and pictures being forcibly handled by police officers, while his supporters from the LP tried to intervene to stop his arrest.
Talking on the arrest, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Zone, Tijani Momoh, said: “There is a standing order for now that nobody should come in.
“Yes, the Labour Party National Chairman is here and it has to do with a petition that was referred to this office from the Inspector General of Police.
“It was referred to Zone 5 from the IGP’s office, he is with us but I cannot give the contents of the petition right now.”
When asked if he was being detained or just to take his statement, Momoh said, “I don’t know for now.”
Abure has been having running battles with some members of the party in the state over allegations of substituting candidates in the 2023 general election without the consent of the affected aspirants, an allegation he has denied.