Labour Party’s National Chairman, Julius Abure, stood firm against accusations of financial impropriety leveled against him by the party’s embattled National Treasurer.
Abure firmly denied assertions suggesting the party had amassed over N3.5 billion in revenue, countering such claims as baseless.
Abure addressed these allegations during an appearance on Arise Television’s Morning Show, where he responded to queries concerning the party’s ongoing internal turmoil. The suspended National Treasurer, Mrs. Oluchi Oparah, had accused Abure of obstructing access to the party’s financial records and bank accounts.
Oparah additionally demanded accountability for party funds exceeding N3.5 billion, purportedly generated from form sales and various fundraisers for the 2023 general election. She alleged that Abure had rebuffed all requests to open the party’s financial records for scrutiny following the closure of form sales.
In response, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Labour Party imposed a six-month suspension on Oparah. The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Obiora Ifoh, labeled Oparah a mole manipulated by dissidents to sow discord within the party.
However, Abure vehemently contested Oparah’s claims, challenging her to provide evidence supporting the assertion of N3.5 billion generated during the election period. He clarified that the party’s audited financial reports, conducted by certified external auditors, revealed only N1.3 billion entering the party’s account from 2022 to the present.
Abure also noted an additional N700 million designated as campaign funds, which were directly allocated to the campaign organization without passing through the party’s account. He questioned the validity of Oparah’s N3.5 billion claim and urged her to substantiate it with credible evidence.
