The Labour Party (LP) has alleged that its National Chairman, Julius Abure, narrowly escaped an assassination attempt.
News About Nigeria reports that Abure’s residence in Abuja was also burned by a ‘mysterious fire’.
The opposition party revealed the developments in a statement issued to journalists by the National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh.
According to the statement, the incident happened in the early hours of Wednesday, while Abure and his family slept.
Eyewitness accounts shared by a family member revealed that neighbours and security personnel rallied to rescue Abure and his loved ones from the fire.
The statement reads: “The entire family was trapped as the inferno had reached the staircase, making it impossible for Abure and his family to escape.
“However, it took divine intervention for the national chairman and his family to escape after neighbours and security men gallantly pulled down one of the windows upstairs, making way for the family to escape.
“Men of the Fire Service arrived shortly after Abure and his family were evacuated.
“Abure and his family were rushed to a private hospital, where they are presently receiving treatment. Their condition is, however, stable.”
The recent development follows internal turmoil within the Labour Party, characterized by a growing leadership crisis.
Recall that during the party’s convention on March 27 in Nnewi, Abure secured re-election as national chairman for a second term amidst opposition from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
Notably, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) did not oversee the convention, and the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) argued that Abure’s tenure had expired.
Before the contentious convention, the NLC had called for Abure’s resignation and the immediate formation of a caretaker transition committee to facilitate a legitimate and inclusive national convention for the party.
