Masked Men Disrupt Labour Party Meeting in Aba, Arrest Attempt Sparks Protest

Aba, Abia State – A tense scene unfolded in Aba as masked men, suspected to be policemen, disrupted a Labour Party meeting on Thursday. Over 20 masked individuals stormed the venue, commanding silence from the attendees and causing chaos among the party members.

The situation escalated when five of the masked figures approached the high table, where Prince G.O. Ndubueze, the secretary of the Labour Party’s local government election committee, was seated. They announced that Ndubueze was under arrest, but the members of the party vehemently protested, insisting that the alleged officers present no warrant for his detention.

In a show of solidarity, more than 500 party members rallied around Ndubueze, marching to the Aba Area Police Command to demand his release. During a brief interview, Ndubueze expressed his determination to stand against what he termed intimidation by Governor Alex Otti. He accused the governor of attempting to impose candidates for the upcoming local government elections scheduled for November 2.

"I didn’t get any warrant of arrest from anywhere. I don’t even know whether they are policemen, but as a law-abiding citizen, I’m going with the police. However, I will never bow to intimidation from Gov. Alex Otti. We won’t allow him to impose candidates in this local government election," Ndubueze stated.

He emphasized that the Labour Party in Abia State is committed to resisting any attempts at candidate imposition, asserting that Otti, who came to power through a legitimate election, should respect the democratic process.

The incident has raised concerns about the state of political affairs in Abia, particularly in the lead-up to the elections, and has ignited discussions about the integrity of law enforcement in the region.

As the situation develops, the Labour Party is calling for transparency and accountability from the authorities, demanding that the rights of its members be upheld.