By Johnkennedy Uzoma
The leadership of Labour Party in Imo state, has demanded for the immediate release of the party’s House of Assembly candidate of Owerri Municipal Local Government Area in the last election, Hon. Clinton Amadi.
The State Chairman, Comrade Festus Onyekwulisi, in a statement issued in Owerri on Wednesday, said that Hon Amadu was illegally arrested and detained by men of Nigeria Police from the Tiger Base unit of Imo State Command.
He said that their candidate, in obedience to a court order he obtained from a court of competent jurisdiction, had gone to inspect and collect certified true copies of result of the election at the Independent National Electoral commission (INEC) office in Owerri in pursuant to his petition at the election tribunal wherein the arrest was made with no arrest warrant nor prior invitation by the Police.
The party totally condemned such act and described it as a total violation of their candidate’s right.
He said: “We are not unaware that our party members and particularly our candidates who have taken to the tribunal to seek to reclaim their victories which was stolen by the APC candidates with support of the state government and security agencies have been singled out by the state government for assault and intimidation”.
The chairman declared that Hon Amadi committed no offence by attempting to inspect electoral material adding that his offence as judged by the irresponsible government of Imo State and the APC is his courage to approach the tribunal, hence the unleashing of physical attack on him using the compromised Imo police command.
While demanding for the immediate release of Hon. Amadi, the party equally demanded for a stop to all forms of harassment on Labour party candidates and leaders in the state by the state government.
He said: “Democracy and our constitution provides for the space of the opposition and we have been civil and law abiding in discharging our responsibility to Imo people”.
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