The treasurer alleged that Abure prevented her from exercising her constitutionally assigned role of handling the party’s accounts.
The National Treasurer of the Labour Party, Mrs Oluchi Oparah, has called on the National Chairman, Julius Abure, to render an account of party funds amounting to over N3.5billion.
Oparah, who made the demand on Monday during a press conference, said that the money was the proceeds of sale of forms and sundry fundraisers for the 2023 general elections.
The treasurer alleged that Abure prevented her from exercising her constitutionally assigned role of handling the party’s accounts.
Oparah equally claimed that the chairman has shunned all entreaties to open the party’s books for scrutiny after the sale of expression of interest and nomination forms closed before the 2023 general elections.
According to Vanguard, Oparah said: “Good morning, ladies and gentlemen of the press. I stand before you today with a heavy heart and a sense of duty to the principles of transparency, accountability, and justice.
"With great reluctance and deep concern, I am compelled to publicly address the media regarding the egregious financial mismanagement and corruption that have plagued our beloved party under the leadership of Mr Julius Abure, the current National Chairman.
“As National Treasurer, I am constrained to come before you and the public today because the internal mechanisms of our party have failed woefully to bring Mr Abure to account for his brazen abuse of office and misappropriation of party funds.
“ His appetite for power has grown unchecked, and he has deliberately undermined my duties and authority as stipulated in the party’s constitution.”
SaharaReporters had in October 2023 reported how Abure approved the termination of appointment of some of the presidential campaign assistants of Peter Obi after the Supreme Court verdict went against his party.
In a termination letter signed by the National Secretary of the party, Malam Umar Farouk, Abure had said all appointments related to elections and campaigns had been formally dissolved.
“The effected appointees include: Mr. Mandela Ukegbu, Chairman, Labour Party Presidential Campaign Committee on Special Duties; Engineer Balami Isaac David, Senior Special Assistant on Presidential Campaign, Fund Raising and Grassroot Mobilization; Didacus Joe-Adigwe, Senior Special Adviser on Strategy, Protocol and International Relations; Princess Ajibola, Senior Special Assistant on Special Duties and Mobilization and Isaac Imasuagbon, Senior Special Assistant on ICT,” Farouk said.
He had wished them well in their future engagements.