Governor of Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti, has dismissed his purported suspension from the Labour Party by the Julius Abure-led faction, describing it as an assault on democracy and a “joke taken too far.”
Speaking through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ferdinand Ekeoma, on Wednesday, Governor Otti called on the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to immediately arrest Julius Abure over what he termed impersonation.
According to Otti, the Supreme Court of Nigeria had ruled that Julius Abure is no longer the National Chairman of the Labour Party, adding that the Nenadi Usman-led National Caretaker Committee has also stripped Abure of any authority to act on behalf of the party.
“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 the Labour Party,” Otti said.
He urged the public to disregard the news of his suspension, which he said was a diversionary tactic by Abure. He noted that the action came just hours after Abure was summoned to appear before a disciplinary committee set up by the party’s caretaker leadership to answer to allegations of financial misappropriation, impersonation, and anti-party activities.
“Just a few hours after being summoned by a Committee set up by the Senator Nenadi Usman-led National Caretaker Committee, Abure rushed to the media to announce the suspension of Governor Otti and other notable party members, in what can only be described as a desperate move to cover his tracks,” Ekeoma stated.
He further called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to enforce the Supreme Court judgment, stressing that this would help preserve the integrity of the judiciary and protect Nigeria’s democracy.
