Labour Party urges police to investigate claim of death threat by factional spokesman, Arabambi

The Labour Party’s leadership, on Sunday, requested the Nigeria Police to invite Abayomi Arabambi in response to allegations that Peter Obi, the LP’s presidential candidate, was out for his life.

Arabambi is the former national publicity secretary of the party and spokesperson for the Lamidi Apapa-faction of the party.

Prior to last Wednesday’s harassment of Apapa outside the Appeal court in Abuja, Arabambi claimed that the party’s National Youth Leader, Kennedy Ahanotu, had threatened him with texts.

During the election tribunal hearing, some supporters who were allegedly loyal to the National Chairman, Julius Abure, fiercely opposed journalists’ attempts to interview the Apapa-led side.

The crowd interrupted Apapa’s interview while booing him and yelling “Ole” (thief).

The resolute protestors who followed him and tried to prevent him from getting into his car to leave the premises had to be repelled by the police to restore order.

A furious Arabambi had argued that Obi’s alleged complicity and knowledge were necessary for the attack to have taken place.

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Reacting in a joint statement issued in Abuja by LP National Secretary, Alhaji Umar Farouk, the party described the accusation as “preposterous”.

They also threatened to petition the DSS and police authorities to invite Arabambi for questioning.

The statement reads, “We are going ahead to make a formal report to the Nigerian Police and other security agencies of the grave dimension which these anti-democratic elements are taken in their inordinate attempt to stifle democracy. Labour Party is demanding that Arabambi must come up with evidence and facts that Ahanotu is under instruction to visit him violence.

“We are challenging him to make public the said conversation he had with our National Youth Leader to prove the allegation of threat to life from our leaders. We see such baseless attempt to defame our principal and that of our National Youth Leader as a last kick of a dying horse. Arabambi must be reminded that those who fetch ants infested firewood invite lizards to their abode.

“We want to restate that neither His Excellency Peter Obi nor any other person from Labour Party has or will ever contemplate to influence or stimulate any such response to Apapa from Nigerians who already knew that Apapa, Arabambi and their cohorts have been heavily compromised to thwart the proceedings in the Tribunal.

“He is renowned to be the only governor in Nigeria who moved around without a bullet proof car. For anyone to imagine, suggest or even contemplate to associate him with act of violence is pure mischief taken too far and this must be addressed.”

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