Thugs have invaded LP HQ in Abuja, says chairman

Julius Abure, national chairman of the Labour Party (LP),
says thugs allegedly escorted by police officers have broken into the national
headquarters of the party.

The LP national secretariat is located in Utako district
near the federal capital territory office of the National Union of Journalists
(NUJ).

In a statement on Thursday, Abure, who blamed the All
Progressives Congress (APC) for the attack, said the thugs destroyed doors and
windows, prompting workers to flee for safety.

“Few minutes ago, the national headquarters of the Labour
Party in Abuja witnessed a massive attack and was broken into by a detachment
of the Nigerian Police and thugs believed to be working for the All
Progressives Congress,” he said.

 “The invaders who are
armed reportedly pulled down the fences, burglaries, doors and windows to have
access to our Secretariat and in the process sacked workers and party members
who were at the secretariat.

“Though, I was out of town but information has it that the
agenda of the invaders was to inaugurate an illegitimate executive which has
been chosen for them by their sponsors.

“Only yesterday, our presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi
through the presidential campaign council alerted Nigerians of a plot to hound
him out of the country over APC’s covert plot in collaboration with some
security agents to frame him up allegedly on matters bothering on treason.”

Abure said the only offence his party might have committed,
is challenging the outcome of the presidential election in which its candidate
came third.

“We, therefore, call on President Muhammadu Buhari to call
his party, the APC to order and also rein them in from using unorthodox means
to suffocate political structures in Nigeria,” he said.

“A court of competent jurisdiction only yesterday ordered
that I, Julius Abure remain the national chairman, and should not be restrained
from performing my duties, it, therefore, baffles me why the Nigerian Police
should allow itself to be used to perpetrate illegalities.”

The chairman said LP would no longer tolerate the
intimidation and deployment of brute forces against it.