Labeke in the petition dated April 14 accused Abure, who is currently the National Secretary of LP of forgery, impersonation, harassment, intimidation and hijacking of party’s structure from her.
Comrade Maria Labeke, the acting National Chairman of the Labour Party, has written a petition to the Inspector-General of Police over an alleged threat to her life by Barrister Julius Abure.
Labeke in the petition dated April 14 accused Abure, who is currently the National Secretary of LP of forgery, impersonation, harassment, intimidation and hijacking of party’s structure from her.
She said, “I am Comrade Maria Labeke, the acting National Chairman of the Labour Party. As the oldest Deputy National Chairman of the Party, I emerged the acting National Chairman after the demise of Comrade A. A. Salam (Comrade Salam died on the 29th December, 2020) whom I followed into the party from the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE).
“That on the 29th day of December, 2020, the National Secretary of the party, Barrister Julius Abure called me and informed me that the party’s chairman, Comrade A. A. Salam is dead, he proposed to me that as the oldest Deputy National Chairman of the Party, I should automatically assume the position of acting National Chairman of the party. I informed him that I would not be a party to a discussion centered on immediately taking over the position of my boss; Comrade A. A. Salam who just died on the same date.
“We held a meeting of the available members of the National Working Committee and after some consultations, it was resolved that I step in from being the Deputy National Chairman to the acting National Chairman. Julius Abure manipulatively brought a letter to me to sign informing me that the letter was a notification to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) inviting them to a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the party.
“The NEC meeting was initially scheduled to take place at Delta State but Julius Abure changed the venue to his home town of Benin, Edo State. The reason Abure gave for this manipulative action was that he was on the ground in Edo State and that he would deplore sufficient thugs to protect my interest whenever any person(s) wants to plan against me.
“Julius Abure always brags about his influence with the Independent National Electoral Commission, the various security agencies and his ability to dispatch thugs at will, several times, he has informed me that he has moles that he pays and are always ready to do his biddings and give him information whenever any attempt is made to right the various atrocities he commits against the party.
“On Sunday, 28th day of March, 2021, some members of the National Executive Council of the party came to inform me that there would be an election to elect a new chairman of the party, that there are plans to eliminate me if I resist the heist that Julius Abure is planning. I promptly directed Julius Abure in my capacity as the acting National Chairman of the party to convey a National Working Committee (NWC) of the party to decide the agenda for the National Executive Council meeting (NEC) but Julius Abure refuted the directive.
“Rather than comply with the directive as required by the party’s Constitution, 2009, Julius Abure on the 29th day of March, 2021, at about 8 am approached me and offered to compensate me for all the money I had expended nurturing the party and that he had perfected plans to emerge as the chairman of the party that same date and that since I don’t have money and I am alone in his state, he would emerge and that there is nothing I can do about it.
“I promptly informed him that producing another chairman was not part of the agenda of the NEC meeting and that as the acting national chairman of the party, I would not subscribe to such illegality that clearly violates the party’s constitution and the Electoral Act of Nigeria. As promised, Julius Abure dispatched thugs to every nook and cranny of the hotel where the meeting was held, after the conclusion of the agenda of the National Executive Council meeting, someone from the crowd stated that Julius Abure be made the chairman of the party from that date.
“The thugs who were on the ground intimidated everybody as none of us could speak against the plans of Julius Abure. Immediately that motion asking that Juluis Abure be made the Chairman was seconded, Abure brought out several documents from his folder and coerced me into signing each and everyone of them without perusing through (through the aid of the thugs he had on the ground). I was specifically told that unless I corporated and abode by whatever they did, and sign everything that was brought before me, I would not leave their city alive.
“My amiable IGP, sir, I am the person recognised as the acting National chairman of the Labour Party by INEC and I am in possession of the keys to the office of the National Chairman where I still have my personal (items) but Julius Abure and his thugs have stopped me from operating in the said office including issuing threats to eliminate me and I have since been in hiding.
“I beseech you my dear IGP to come to my aid and ensure that one of the most vital arm of our nation’s democracy through which Nigerians express their collective will is not destroyed by these unscrupulous elements in the society. Whilst hoping to hear from you sir soon, please accept my warm, kind regards, always.”