Suspended Labour Party Treasurer Challenges National Chairman to Account for Funds from US Campaign Tour

The suspended National Treasurer of the Labour Party, Ms Oluchi Oparah, has called upon the party’s National Chairman, Julius Abure, to provide a detailed account of the donations received from Nigerians in the Diaspora during the campaign tour of LP presidential candidate, Peter Obi, in the United States.

Last week, SK Blog reported that Opara faced a six-month suspension after alleging that Abure diverted N3.5bn raised from the sale of nomination forms and fundraising activities leading up to the 2023 general election.

Abure countered the claim, asserting that only N1.3bn entered the party, with an additional N800m designated for the campaign. He challenged Opara to produce records supporting her N3.5bn allegation.

Refusing to retract her accusations, Opara, in a telephone interview on Sunday, pressed Abure to explain the funds raised during the LP presidential campaign tour in the US. She asserted that Abure used the party’s name to solicit funds, backed by documented evidence such as tickets priced at $500 and $100.

Opara claimed, “Abure returned and didn’t drop a dime. We are talking about a man who uses proxy accounts to withdraw money from the party.”

In response, Abure denied any wrongdoing, attributing the allegations to Opara’s attempt to tarnish his image. He explained that changes to the account were made in early 2021, involving co-signatories for withdrawals, and emphasized that all transactions were conducted transparently during his tenure as the national chairman.

The controversy surrounding the alleged financial irregularities continues to escalate, with Opara challenging Abure to address the specific concerns related to the US campaign funds.