By Abimbola Ogunnaike
The Labour Party is currently engulfed in a fresh crisis as the party’s National Treasurer, Mrs Oluchi Oparah, on Monday, 12 February, 2024, demanded that the National Chairman, Julius Abure, render an account of party funds over N3.5 billion being proceeds of sale of forms and sundry fundraisers for the 2023 general elections.
Oparah, who made the demand on Monday, 12 February, 2024, at a press conference in Abuja, alleged that Abure prevented her from exercising her constitutionally assigned role of handling the party’s accounts.
She also 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.
“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,” Oparah said.
