The Labour Party (LP) National Chairman, Julius Abure, was arrested by police officers in Benin City, the capital of Edo State, on Wednesday afternoon, according to reports.

LP National Spokesman Obiora Ifoh confirmed Abure’s arrest in a statement, indicating that the party chairman and governorship aspirants had a scheduled security briefing with the Department of State Security earlier in the day.

Ifoh alleged that Abure’s arrest, along with that of Ogbaloi and their aides, occurred after the meeting with a combined team of DSS and police officers. He suggested that the arrest might be connected to a protest letter by an expelled member loyal to the Lamidi Apapa camp and aimed at disrupting the party’s participation in the governorship election.

LP’s Deputy National Chairman, Dr. Ayo Olurunfemi, emphasized in a video post that no form of intimidation would deter the party from concluding its processes toward establishing a Labour Party government in the state.

The national chairman has been embroiled in a crisis with the party’s suspended National Treasurer, Oluchi Opara, who accused Abure of financial malpractice, forgery, and embezzlement of funds generated during the 2023 presidential election. Abure and the party have denied the allegations, while LP presidential candidate in the last poll, Peter Obi, announced that external auditors would investigate the party’s financial records.

Last week, the Labour Party suspended Opara for six months, countering her claims of abuse against the party leadership. The party maintained that it only realized N1.2 billion from member donations and form sales to aspirants in the 2023 polls, alleging that Opara was sponsored by individuals seeking to disrupt the party.