.LP presidential campaign spends N774.5m on legal matters
National Chairman of Labour Party (LP), Julius Abure, has been released by the police.
Abure, it was gathered, was released around 3.05 a.m. yesterday from Zone 5 headquarters of the force in Benin City, Edo State.
The Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) in charge of the zone, Arungwa Nwazule, had on Wednesday night, said Abure, state chairman of the party, Kelly Ogbaloi and three others were arrested for “conspiracy, brutal assault, attempted murder, armed robbery, grievous harm and conduct likely to cause breach of peace.”
Speaking to supporters and LP faithful at the point of his release, Abure stated that what he suffered was not different from what other freedom fighters suffer all over the world.
He noted that his freedom followed pressure on the police from certain quarters, which he refused to mention, adding that assurances were given that the state party chairman, publicity secretary and other party members arrested along with him would be released later yesterday.
In the meantime, former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and aspirant for the September 21 governorship election in Edo State on the platform of the party, Olumide Akpata, has denied involvement in Abure’s arrest.
In a statement yesterday in Benin, the lawyer tackled another aspirant, Kenneth Imansuangbon, for allegedly making reckless and unfounded comments linking him with Abure woes, describing the allegations as false and irresponsible.
Besides, the Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Committee for Peter Obi and Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, yesterday, said it spent N744,500,000 on legal matters.
A statement by its chief spokesperson, Dr Yunusa Tanko, said the clarification followed different reports being bandied in the political and media spaces.
It observed: “For further clarification, the sum of N744,500,000 was a general legal amount to lawyers, which incorporates other expenses within the legal expenditure.
“The legal fee to our lawyers remains a personal thing but our compound expenses on legal matters cannot be tied to one sector. Also involved in this sum are research, accommodation, transportation local and international flights and stationery.
“We would like to be on the same page with the public on this matter, and to remind the public that it encompasses all the things concerning our legal cases, ranging from pre-election to post-election legal processes.”
Tanko added that as a body determined to inject sanity into the polity, “we will continue in the right direction in ensuring that we transparently account for these funds.”
