The Labour Party’s National Secretary, Mallam Umar Farouk, released a statement on Monday claiming that the party Secretariat in Owerri, Imo state was forcefully invaded and occupied by loyalists of Imo state governor, Hope Uzodimma.

The LP accused the governor of attempting to install his preferred candidate in the party’s gubernatorial race and control the leadership in Imo state. The party stated that this latest invasion, which was similar to a previous incident on March 15, 2023, was carried out by thugs and unauthorized policemen who were allegedly drafted from the government house. According to the LP, there was no court order authorizing the occupation, and the police officers present at the Secretariat have not shown any documentation to support their actions. The LP has been denied access to its own Secretariat, and the police claim they have not authorized any deployment of officers to the LP Secretariat in Imo state. The LP believes that Governor Uzodimma’s actions are aimed at hijacking the party’s leadership in the state and that his attempts to plant surrogates in the party have been detected and thwarted, leading to the aggression unleashed on the party by the state government.