The National Vice Chairman (South East) of Labour Party Chief Innocent Okeke has accused the Imo State government of being behind sealing of the party’s headquarters in Owerri.
Chief Okeke who stated this while addressing journalists yesterday about what led to the sealing of Labour Party office along Wetheral Road, Owerri said, ‘’we woke up yesterday to be informed about the brazen display of arrogance and power by agents of the Imo State government.
“On getting there, we saw a detachment of heavily armed policemen stationed in front of Labour Party office. When our people enquired to know what the problem was, some of the policemen said, they were acting on orders from above, while some said they came to enforce a court order. They spoke in discordant tones.
Responding to a question about whether there were issues in court, Chief Okeke said, ‘’sometime at about the 15th of March, after the National leadership of Labour Party changed the acting officials of the party in Imo State. Shortly after that was done, the affected state officials, were cajoled by some mischief makers to challenge the action of the national leadership in court, which they did by serving Court processes demanding their re-in statement. The national leadership also went to court to state their own side of the story. Based on that, the case was adjourned to Wednesday, April, 6’’.
“From the foregoing, it is obvious that the Imo State government led by Senator Hope Uzodinma is desperate to wreck havoc on Labour Party in the state, by placing the cart before the horse. I don’t really know why and how a court will order the sealing of the office of a duly registered political party before hearing a case instituted to that effect. As it is now, the case has not been heard, hence the Hope Uzodinma-led-APC government in Imo State has exhibited unbridled desperation and brazen display of power aimed at stifling opposition political parties in the state’’.
‘’To this end, the candid advice of Labour Party is that the Imo State government should concentrate more on how to address the myriad of challenges confronting the state, among which is the frightening level of insecurity that has projected the state and her people in very bad light, rather than engaging in frivolities which is what the sealing of Labour Party office amounts to.
“We demand that the state government should, as a matter of urgency, evacuate its’ officials from the office of Labour Party as our findings have shown that those who came to seal our secretariat did so without approval of the Imo State Police command.
“Besides, it is not the responsibility of the Uzodinma APC-led state government to settle the internal disputes of other political parties, including the Labour Party that has internal mechanism for conflict management and resolution’’.
“We therefore, consider this display of political rascality an infringement on our right as a distinct political’’.
‘’May I also recall, that when the Ahmodu Sheriff faction of the PDP which Uzodinma piloted in the state was engaged in a protracted court case with the Senator Makarfi faction of the PDP, none of the factions sealed up the others office until the Supreme Court gave its judgment on the matter in contention’’.
Finally ,Okeke asked governor Uzodinma to get ready for his exit from Douglas house,saying that Labour Party is resolute to taking over the government of Imo State as such,no amount of intimidation will stop Labour Party from wining the Novermber election.
