‘Pinnacle Of Rascality’, Obi Knocks Police For Abure’s ‘Humiliating’ Arrest

The Labour Party's (LP) nominee for president in 2023, Peter Obi, has denounced the "humiliating" detention of Julius Abure, the party's national chairman.

In a series of tweets on X (formerly Twitter), Obi referred to Abure's detention in Benin City, the capital of Edo State, on Wednesday afternoon as the "pinnacle of rascality."

Videos that went viral showed Abure being abused by police officers while supporters of the LP struggled to stop his detention.

According to the police, Abure was detained for attempted murder, unlawful gun possession, and other offences. After LP members stormed the Zone 5 office in Edo to protest, the LP chairman was later released on bail early on Thursday.

Obi posted a message on social media stating, "My position on this matter remains unwavering but does not explain watching the distressing image of our National Chairman lying on the ground in the name of arrest.
Any moral and civilised mind must denounce this act in the context of Nigeria's current civic landscape because it is undesired, degrading, and categorically untenable.

"Our country's already terrible reputation as a lawless place is further damaged by these abhorrent acts, which represent the height of stupidity.

To preserve the values of fairness and respect for each person's dignity in our society, such behaviour must be actively addressed in addition to being condemned.
"Constitutional authorities must be allowed to execute their statutory functions, officers must adhere to due process, civility, decency and established arrest procedures, embody civility, decorum, respect for the dignity and rights of citizens, and, above all, the presumption of innocence before the law," stressed the former governor of Anambra State.

It is imperative to stress that, as a prominent member of the Labour Party, Mr. Abure serves as the official representative of the political opposition in Nigeria, both individually and in his capacity as the LP's Chairman. Above all, political parties should be respected as institutions of democratic statehood.

It is crucial to stress once more that no pretence or deceit should be used to silence Nigeria's political opposition. As a result,