The leadership of the Labour Party has decried the arrest of the National Vice Chairman, South East, Comrade Ceekay Igara on Saturday 19th October, 2024 by the men of Nigerian Police allegedly on the orders of Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti.
Comrade Igara was arrested in Aba while holding a party meeting with some of the party leaders when they were surrounded by the Police and whisked away without any warrant.
A statement by the National Publicity Secretary of Labour Party Obiora Ifoh said the leadership of the party is totally in shock over the development particularly as it is coming on the orders of the party’s only state governor. The party is worried that His Excellency, Dr. Alex Otti who it laboured for in the 2023 governorship election and defended his victory has suddenly turned to be a tiger ready to tear apart the party that did him favour even when every other party rejected him.
The statement said the Party is still at a loss over what may have caused the same governor who a few months ago stood by the party during their convention but suddenly turned to launch the worst offensive at the leadership. Governor Otti was said to have hosted the Extended Stakeholders meeting in Abia state and thereafter formed a caretaker committee hoping to wrestle power from the party leadership, unsuccessfully shopped for courts to grant him some frivolous demands, all to no avail.
The statement read further; After the courts affirmed the leadership of Barrister Julius Abure and declared the Nnewi Convention valid, the party had subsequently sent an olive branch to the governor, hoping that he will seize the golden opportunity to retrace his steps and reintegrate himself into the party, we are sincerely at a loss on why he is still working hard to destabilise and destroy the same party that gave him shelter when he needed it most.
It is surprising that he has resorted to introducing a brute and anachronistic form of political intimidation. The arrest of our zonal chairman is the height of his political savagery and an indication of the kind of person Otti really is. It is often said that power does not change a man, rather power only brings out the true nature of a man. We were fooled by Otti’s humane posture, not knowing that he was just masquerading as his tyrannical true person.
The party therefore demands the immediate release of Comrade Ceekay Igara from the custody of the police or charge him to court within the next twenty four hours as specified by the law.
The leadership of the party said it will do everything possible to ensure the safety of its officials and members.
