Police arrest Labour Party National Chairman, Julius Abure

Police have arrested the National Chairman of Labour Party (LP), Julius Abure in Benin City, the Edo State capital.

GistReel reports that Abure was arrested on Wednesday afternoon and the details of his arrest have not been disclosed.

The spokesperson for the Nigeria Police Force Zone 5, Tijani Momoh, confirmed the development to Newsmen.

Recall that the party’s national chairman has been embroiled in a crisis with the party’s suspended National Treasurer, Oluchi Opara, who accused Abure of financial malfeasance, forgery and embezzlement of the party’s funds realised during the 2023 presidential election.

Abure and the party had denied the allegations even as Opara insisted that the national chairman should account for both naira and dollar donations to the party in the last poll.

LP presidential candidate in the last poll, Peter Obi, had said external auditors would probe the party’s financial books.

Last week, the Labour Party suspended Opara for six months, saying contrary to allegations of abuse levelled against the leadership of the party by Opara, the party only realised N1.2 billion from donation from members and sales of forms to some aspirants in the 2023 polls.

The party alleged that Opara was being sponsored by the same people who used Lamidi Apapa, Anslem Eragbe, and Yomi Arabambi to derail the party.