Anastasia Okechukwu Reporting
The secretariat of the Labour Party in Imo State has been sealed.
In a statement on Monday in Owerri, made available to newsmen, the national secretary of the Labour Party, Mallam Umar Farouk said the Secretariat was invaded and occupied by agents loyal to the state Governor, Hope Uzodimma.
According to him, Hope Uzodimma has been making efforts to hijack the Leadership of the Labour Party in the state and sealing the Secretariat is one of his game plan.
Part of the statement read, “The national leadership of the Labour Party is shocked over the Invasion and Occupation, the action of its Secretariat in Owerri, today, Monday, April 3, 2023, by the agents of Imo state Governor, Hope Uzodimma, including thugs and unauthorized policemen drafted fa from the government house.
Such illegal occupation was akin to a similar invasion on the same Secretariat on Wednesday, March 15, 2023. 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.”
“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.