The Imo State police command has unsealed the secretariat of the Labour Party (LP) located in Owerri, the state capital.
According to Punch, police operatives who took over the secretariat on Monday after sealing it, in the early hours of Tuesday had left the place.
Staff members at the secretariat at the time of filing this report have regained access to the LP office.
A chieftain of the party in the state who spoke with the platform on the development confirmed that the secretariat had been unsealed.
OsunDaily News had earlier reported that the national secretary of the party, Umar Farouk in a statement released on Monday accused the state governor, Hope Uzodimma, of conniving with police to seal the secretariat.
The statement reads, “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 Uzodimma, including thugs and unauthorized policemen drafted 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 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.”
