By Some stakeholders of the Labour Party (LP) have called for the immediate prosecution of the party’s national chairman, Julius Abure, along with Umar Farouk Ibrahim, Ojukwu Clement, and Edward Nkwegu Okereke, over allegations of perjury, forgery, and criminal conspiracy.
They criticized the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice for failing to act on a standing criminal prosecution order issued by the Inspector General of Police (IGP) on October 25, 2023.
The demand comes a day after LP’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, defended Abure, stating that a police report cleared him of forgery allegations.
Addressing journalists in Abuja, Comrade Prince Rowland, speaking on behalf of LP National Caretaker Chairperson Nenadi Usman, alleged that Abure and Ibrahim forged a signature withdrawal letter submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) during the 2023 general elections.
He cited a forensic audit report and Certified True Copies (CTCs) of a police investigation as evidence supporting the claims. He further accused Abure and Ibrahim of manipulating a court order to unlawfully remove Eze Oko, the LP’s validly nominated gubernatorial candidate for Ebonyi State, despite a Supreme Court ruling upholding his candidacy.
“The Nigeria Police Force’s Legal Department reportedly advised immediate prosecution, yet no action has been taken,” Rowland stated, warning that the delay undermines President Bola Tinubu’s anti-corruption stance and damages Nigeria’s justice system.
The LP National Caretaker Committee (NCC) has urged the AGF to act swiftly, insisting that failure to prosecute the suspects is unacceptable.
