Thugs unleash mayhem as Edo LP ratifies Abure’s suspension

•Ex-Speaker heads party’s caretaker committee
There seems to be no end in sight for the crises in the Labour Party (LP) as the Edo State chapter of the party has officially ratified the suspension of the National Chairman, Julius Abure.

This was contained in a letter to the National Headquarters of the party titled, ‘Ratification of the suspension from the membership of Ward 3, Arue, Uromi, Esan North-East Local Council, Edo State.’

The letter was signed by the Chairman and Secretary of the state chapter of the party, Ogbaloi K.S.E and Akhere Frederick, respectively, copying the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Meanwhile, thugs suspected to be loyal to Abure, yesterday, unleashed mayhem on protesters believed to be Edo LP supporters, who were at the party’s National Secretariat to demand Abure’s ouster.

The anti-Abure protesters stormed the party headquarters, holding placards and chanting solidarity songs.

It was gathered that soon after some of the protesters stepped out of one of the vehicles that brought them, the suspected thugs swooped on the vehicles with sticks and other objects forcing the drivers to zoom off.

A detachment of armed policemen and operatives of the Department of State Security (DSS) intervened when the thugs started throwing stones into the nearby secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in pursuit of reporters who were covering the fracas.

The intervention of the security officials helped bring the situation under control.

MEANWHILE, the national leadership of LP, headed by Julius Abure, yesterday, constituted a caretaker committee to oversee the affairs of the party in Edo after the expiration of the tenure of the Ogbaloi-led State Executive Council, which ended in April, 2024.

The 17-man Caretaker Committee is headed by Elizabeth Ativie, a former Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly.

The new State Executive Committee of the party was inaugurated in Benin City by the Deputy National Chairman, Dr Ayo Olorunfemi.

While administering the oath of office on members of the new committee, Olorunfemi said that the new leadership of the party in Edo is expected to take charge of the party affairs pending when a fresh congress will be held to elect a new executive.