The Labour Party has called on the Inspector General of the Police to order the police commissioner in the state to rise to the occasion and check any further intimidation of the Labour Party and our members in the state.
The party also called on the Imo state government to live up to its mandate to secure lives and property, as the attack on the secretariat was inexcusable.
According to the party, the attack was the third in one year and raised members’ and stakeholders’ concern over the effrontery of the thugs at such repeated attacks without action by the state government that would serve as a deterrent.
National publicity secretary, Pastor Obiora Ifoh, said the attack was politically motivated as the attackers said they have the mandate of their sponsors to destroy billboards by the Labour Party (LP) carrying either both the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Gregory Obi or that of both of them with the gubernatorial candidate for the Imo state election come November 11, 2023.
The statement reads in part: “At the early hours of today, Monday 28 August, the Imo state Secretariat of the Labour Party has once more been attacked by thugs.
The state chairman of the Labour Party, Barrister Callistus Ihejiagwa, had earlier sent an SOS to the public informing Nigerians to come to the aid of the party, which at the time was at the mercy of the attackers who comprised of over a hundred thugs and the accompanying men in security uniform.
According to the Labour Party, the SOS read, “Imo state labour party office in Owerri under serious attack by they are presently demolishing structures in our secretariat. Please let the entire world hear this and come to our aid.”
It continued that in “a voice mail sent to our party headquarters later, the state chairman of the party said, ‘We have been invaded by the thugs, and they have pulled down all our flags, pulled down the banners of Peter Obi, pulled down the banners of our governorship candidate, seized People’s phone, beat people up, and committed all manners of atrocities just now in our office.”
The report said when the state chairman confronted the thugs, they said they were under directives to pull down Peter Obi and Senator Athan’s billboards, particularly that of Obi.
