Breaking: Otti describes suspension as joke, calls for Abure’s arrest

Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has dismissed his reported suspension from the Labour Party (LP) by the Julius Abure-led faction, describing it as a “joke taken too far” and an outright assault on democracy.

In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ferdinand Ekeoma, on Wednesday and made available to journalists Thursday in Umuahia, the governor called on the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to immediately arrest Abure for allegedly impersonating the party’s national chairman.

Governor Otti referenced a Supreme Court ruling that, according to him, affirmed Julius Abure is no longer the National Chairman of the Labour Party. He also cited a recent directive by the party’s National Caretaker Committee, led by Senator Nenadi Usman, which he said formally stripped Abure of any authority to act in that capacity.

“For the records, the highest court in the land, the Supreme Court of Nigeria, has rightly and unambiguously stated that Julius Abure is no longer the National Chairman of Labour Party,” the statement read.

Governor Otti urged Nigerians and party faithful to disregard any suspension pronouncement from Abure, describing it as a desperate move made shortly after he was summoned to appear before a disciplinary committee set up by the Caretaker Committee to address allegations against him.

“Just hours after being summoned to respond to allegations of gross misconduct, including financial misappropriation, impersonation, and anti-party activities, Abure hurriedly went to the media to announce the purported suspension of Governor Otti and other respected party members,” Ekeoma stated.

Calling for accountability, Otti’s camp urged the police to arrest Abure and prosecute him for impersonation. He also appealed to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to enforce the Supreme Court’s ruling to safeguard the credibility of the judiciary and Nigeria’s democratic process.

“The time has come to end this charade. INEC must do the needful, and the police must act now to uphold the rule of law,” the statement concluded.