The Labour Party has accused Abia State Deputy Governor Ikechukwu Emetu, Senator Nenadi Usman and others of forcefully breaking into the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja and removing valuables.
In a statement issued by the National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, the party alleged that the invasion was aided by heavily armed police personnel who denied entry to staff and security officers, allowing access only to individuals aligned with the Nenadi Usman-led interim leadership.
According to the statement, security personnel reported that unidentified individuals arrived at the secretariat in the early hours of Tuesday, dismantled existing Labour Party billboards and replaced them with those bearing the branding of the Usman faction.
The Abure-led leadership said it was “dumbfounded” by the incident, alleging that offices were broken into and files and other materials removed. It added that party officials who arrived later in the morning were prevented from entering the premises by police officers, but chose not to resist in order to avoid confrontation.
The party acknowledged that a Federal High Court in the Federal Capital Territory had recognised Senator Usman as interim chairman, but said it had obtained a stay of execution and filed an appeal against the ruling, describing any forced takeover of the secretariat as inappropriate and unlawful.
The Labour Party called on the police, the Department of State Services, the Office of the National Security Adviser and other relevant agencies to investigate the incident, warning that failure to address the matter could threaten democratic institutions.
It also urged party members to remain calm and vigilant while the leadership pursues legal remedies.
