The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has condemned the “humiliating” arrest of the National Chairman of the party, Julius Abure.
Obi, in a string of posts on X (formerly Twitter), described as “pinnacle of rascality”, the manner at which Abure was arrested in Benin City, the Edo State capital, on Wednesday afternoon.
Viral videos showed Abure being manhandled by policemen, even as LP supporters fought to prevent his arrest.
The police had said Abure was arrested for attempted murder, illegal possession of firearms, and related offences. The LP chairman was later released on bail early Thursday after protests by LP members who stormed Zone 5 office in Edo.
In his statement on social media, Obi said, “My stance on this matter remains unwavering but does not explain watching the distressing image of our National Chairman lying on the ground in the name of arrest.
“This act is undesirable , demeaning and unequivocally intolerable and must be condemned by any decent and civilized mind within the context of our present civic landscape in Nigeria.
“These deplorable actions epitomize the pinnacle of rascality and serve to egregiously tarnish the already regrettable perception of our nation as one plagued by lawlessness.
“Such behaviour must not only be denounced but also actively addressed to uphold the principles of justice and respect for the dignity of the individual within our society.”
The former governor of Anambra State said emphasised that while “constitutional authorities must be allowed to execute their statutory functions, officers must adhere to due process, civility, decency and established arrest procedures, embody civility, decorum, respect for the dignity and rights of citizens, and, above all, the presumption of innocence before the law”.
“It is crucial to emphasize that as a leader within the Labour Party, Mr. Abure represents, both personally and statutorily, as the incumbent Chairman of the LP, the face of political opposition in Nigeria. Most importantly, political Parties are institutions of democratic statehood and ought to that extent be accorded due respect.
“It is imperative to reiterate that no pretext or subterfuge should be employed to stifle Nigeria’s political opposition. Therefore, I urge that he should be granted bail based on his status while the investigation his alleged offence continues,” Obi added.
