The 2023 Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has condemned how the operatives of the Nigerian Police handled the arrest of the party’s National Chairman, Mr Julius Abure.
Obi in a statement on his X handle on Thursday said that there could have been a better way to handle the arrest of the party LP Chairman, to “show we are … in a democracy”.
Abure was arrested in Benin City, the Edo State capital on Wednesday, alongside the Chairman of the LP in Edo State, Kelly Ogboloi, and other party members.
According to Tijani Momoh, Spokesperson for Zone 5 Police Headquarters, Benin City, who confirmed the arrest, Abure was arrested over a petition alleging attempted murder and conspiracy to commit dangerous harm.
Momoh on Wednesday, while briefing newsmen, said that the police did not assault the LP national chairman in the process of arresting him.
The police spokesperson however claimed some persons tried to prevent Abure’s arrest, which led to an altercation between them and police operatives.
Meanwhile, the LP National Chairman, the state Chairman, and other arrested members of the party have since been released on bail.
Reacting to the development, Obi said: “Like many Nigerians, I observed the distasteful national television news reports detailing the humiliating arrest of the National Chairman of the Labour Party, Barrister Julius Abure, in Benin City, Edo.
“Throughout my roles as a private individual, public figure, Governor, and Presidential candidate, I consistently advocated for the paramount importance of upholding the rule of law in any sane society.
“I firmly believe that, as citizens, we are all duty-bound irrespective of our status in society to respond to invitations from properly constituted authority.
“My stance on this matter remains unwavering but does not explain watching the distressing image of our National Chairman lying on the ground in the name of arrest.
“This act is undesirable and unequivocally intolerable and must be condemned by any decent and civilized mind within the context of our present civic landscape in Nigeria.”
The former Anambra State Governor further described the manner of the arrest as deplorable, saying that such a manner of arrest must be not only denounced but also actively addressed to uphold the principles of justice and respect within our society.
“Regarding the circumstances surrounding Mr Abure’s arrest, it is crucial to emphasise that while constitutional authorities must be allowed to execute their statutory functions, officers must adhere to due process and established arrest procedures.
“The officers must embody civility, decorum, respect for the dignity and rights of citizens, and, above all, the presumption of innocence.
“It is crucial to emphasise that as a leader within the Labour Party, Mr Abure represents, both personally and statutorily, as the incumbent Chairman of the LP, the face of political opposition in Nigeria,” Obi added.