Crisis Hits Labour Party As Treasurer Asks Chairman, Julius Abure To Account For N3.5 Billion

The Labour Party is facing a new crisis as its National Treasurer, Oluchi Oparah, has called on its National Chairman, Julius Abure, to provide a detailed account of the party’s funds, which amount to over N3.5 billion.

The said funds were generated through the sale of forms and various fundraisers for the 2023 general elections.

On Monday, during a press conference held in Abuja, Oparah expressed her frustration at being prevented by the National Chairman from fulfilling her constitutionally assigned role of managing the party’s accounts.

Furthermore, she alleged that the chairman has refused to allow any form of scrutiny into the party’s financial records since the closure of the sale of expressions of interest and nomination forms for the 2023 general elections.

This lack of transparency has raised concerns and further intensified the crisis within the Labour Party.

“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,” Vanguard quoted the Labour Party chieftain saying.