The ongoing crisis within the Labour Party took a violent turn over the weekend when Julius Abure, the factional chairman of the party, was physically attacked at Benin Airport in Edo State.
Obiora Ifoh, National Publicity Secretary for Abure’s faction, reported that the attack occurred on Friday and was carried out by a woman identified as Ms. Precious Oruche, also known as “Mama P.”
The incident began at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, where Oruche confronted Abure in the boarding queue for a Max Air flight to Benin.
Despite intervention attempts by flight attendants, the confrontation reportedly continued throughout the flight.
Upon arrival at Benin Airport, the altercation escalated until security personnel intervened, removing Abure to safety and handing over Oruche to the police.
In a statement, Ifoh described Oruche as a content creator from a “well-known political family,” who, in a video, claimed immunity from prosecution due to her connections within the police force.
Oruche reportedly declared her intention to continue targeting Abure and other party officials, accusing them of destroying the Labour Party and being responsible for Peter Obi’s departure from the party.
“The leadership of the Labour Party is deeply disturbed by this campaign of cyberbullying and physical aggression against our members, especially Barrister Julius Abure,” the statement said.
Ifoh called on the Inspector General of Police to conduct a thorough investigation into the attack, describing it as a calculated effort by anti-democratic elements to destabilize the party.
He urged members of the Labour Party to stay calm and await the results of the inquiry, emphasizing that both assault and cyberbullying constitute serious offenses under Nigerian law.
