‘Imo Govt, Police Seal LP Secretariat’

The Imo State Police Command has sealed the secretariat of the Labour Party (LP) in the state.

The development was confirmed by the national secretary of the party, Umar Farouk in a statement released on Monday.

According to Farouk, the secretariat was sealed by the police in connivance with the state government.

The party claimed that the agents of the state Governor, Hope Uzodinma, thugs and police operatives from the government house sealed the party’s secretariat.

The statement read “the national leadership of the Labour Party is shocked over the invasion and occupation of its Secretariat in Owerri, today, Monday, April 3, 2023, by the agents of the Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, including thugs and unauthorised policemen from the government house.

“Such an illegal occupation is akin to a similar invasion on the same secretariat on Wednesday, March 15, 2023.”

Farouk stated that the state government claimed that its secretariat was sealed due to a court order.

He added, “But as of 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 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.”

He noted that the police informed the party that it did not direct its officers and men to the LP secretariat in Imo State, adding that the officers might have been drafted from the State House in the state.

Farouk said, “The Labour Party however is not unmindful of the efforts of the Imo state governor, Hope Uzodimma to hijack the leadership of the party in Imo state.”

He called on members of the party in the state to be peaceful even in the face of the present provocation.

The Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Oguwike Nwachuku in reaction to the development said that the allegation was unfounded.

The governor’s spokesperson said, “The Labour Party’s allegation is unfounded. They should stop pointing fingers at the wrong place.”