Imo Govt Slams LP, Says Leave Uzodimma Out Of Your “Self-Inflicted Woes”

According to the Imo State Government, the Labour Party (LP) in the state is suffering from problems that it brought on itself.

Following the assault of the party’s Owerri headquarters by security forces, the LP National Secretary, Umar Farouk, accused Governor Hope Uzodimma of attempting to hijack the party.

Farouq claimed that the cause of the crisis was the state administration.

Declan Emelumba, the state’s commissioner for information and strategy, refuted the allegations on Tuesday, calling them “mischievous and satanic,” adding that the invasion was the result of conflict between different party groups in the state.

The commissioner said in a statement on Tuesday that a faction obtained a judicial order against the establishment of a caretaker committee by another faction, which required the order to be pasted at the state secretariat of LP.

“It is well known that even before the election, the Labour Party in IMO STATE was experiencing a leadership problem. Therefore, for the national secretary to charge the governor of attempting to hijack the party is malicious and possibly even satanic, according to Emelumba.

He pointed out that security agents were on the scene to enforce the court’s directive to post the court order at the LP Secretariat.

He asserts that because the governor is preoccupied with state matters, he has no reason to be concerned about the internal conflict within the LP.

“Uzodimma does not belong to LP. He was not one of those who appeared in court. Why would you bring up his name in the party’s problem when he is not threatened by the party’s activities? said Emelumba.

He claimed that the LP crisis had been brewing for a while and had led to the state chapter setting up two separate locations when Peter Obi, the presidential candidate, visited Imo for campaigning.

The commissioner claimed that while one faction prepared one venue for the same event, the government had authorized a specific venue requested by the party.

Emelumba claimed that the LP’s national secretary had “misinformed” Nigerians about the actual reasons the police had gone to their headquarters.

“Everyone in Imo State is aware that the police were called to execute a court order and rescue a few miscreants from their own depravity. The Imo State Government has nothing to do with that, according to the commissioner.