Oluchi Oparah, the National Treasurer of Labour Party, LP, has demanded accountability from the party’s National Chairman, Julius Abure , on how he spent the N3.5 billion realised from sales of form and other funds raised last year for the 2023 general election.
Oparah made the accusation on Monday during a press briefing in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
The development is likely to cause a further division in the party that has barely survived the crisis of power struggle between Abure and Lamidi Apanpa, an erstwhile factional chairman of the party under which Peter Obi ran last year.
The courts have since affirmed Abure, a close ally of Obi as the National Chairman.
Speaking today on what is going on in the party, the treasure said Abure has usurp her power, as she is no longer taken along on how the finances of the party is expended.
According to her, Abure has also refused to allow the accounts of the party to be audited, adding that she has ben unable to fulfil her role as the treasurer.
Oparah said: “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.”
Those closely watching the embattled party insist that what is currently going on does not augur well for party as it is preparing for the governorship election in Edo state later this year.
Recall recently that some members of the party last week protested against the party’s Abure over alleged support for some aspirants ahead of the party governorship primary to be held later this month.
The protesters chanted “Abure must go”.
Meanwhile, the party through its national publicity secretary, Obiora Ifoh, has denied the alleged misappropriation by Oparah, describing her as a frustrated person who is not happy that her tenure would soon be over.
Abure did not embezzled any funs belong to the party, Ifoh said in a statement countering the party’s treasurer.
Part of the statement read:
The attention of the leadership of the party has been drawn to a news conference by our National Treasurer, Ms Oluchi Opara where she raised a number of allegations against the National Chairman, Barrister Julius Abure bothering more on corruption and abuse of office.
We want to say that the National Treasurer who is certainly under some external influences merely read out a concocted statement drafted by our detractors to further tar the image of the party.
With the exception of the National Treasurer whose tenure is about to end in few weeks’ time, and who has served for 8 years as National Treasurer without a single record of party accounts, no other member of the national working committee has raised any issue of embezzlement against out National Chairman who made a pledge on assumption that the party has to be revamped. Evidence is our proactive outing in the 2023 general election as the party presented for the first time a very good presidential candidate.
Let it be said that the Labour Party has not earned N3.5 billion as claimed and that the National Chairman has not embezzled any money that belongs to the party as alleged. The records are there, except that Ms Oluchi Opara doesn’t even understand simple accounting even as a treasurer. An External Auditor is engaged by the party and our account is under constant scrutiny of INEC or other regulatory bodies.
Abure does not own several houses and property as spuriously alleged by our estranged National Treasurer, even though no law prohibits him from owning properties.
The constitution of the Labour Party in Article 14:1b provides that the National Chairman shall be the Accounting Officer of the party while 14:1d ‘Shall approve all expenditures and shall be a signatory to the Party’s Bank account(s).’
Accordingly, Article 14: 6 states that the National Treasurer “Shall receive and promptly pay into the Party’s account(s), all monies received for and on behalf of the Party.
Shall ensure the preparation of Annual Statement of Account/Reports on finances of the Party including compilation of the Party’s Assets and liabilities and make the same available to the National Executive Council from time to time. Shall be a co-signatory to the Party Account(s).’
These sections are clear as to the duty of the national chairman apart from providing leadership. The duty of the National Treasurer is also clearly spelt out.
In the past, the party didn’t have accounting books or methods as it was run by the then chairman and Ms Oluchi the Treasurer. They were only accountable to themselves, but with the emergence of the Abure-led executive, and the growth of the party, it became imperative for the party to structure its accounting method and policy. This of course didn’t go down well with the National Treasurer whose financial source was shut down.
The party can understand her vituperations but we can’t help her situation more so when her time in the NWC is running out. Her wish to cash out was not granted and her subtle effort to push the leadership to ‘settle’ her was rejected hence her resolve to fight dirty.
It will be recalled that she is alone in this battle. Several stakeholders have had course to prevail on her to bridle her inordinate ambition but all to no avail. We are surprised that despite all efforts to assure her of a future, she still went ahead to align with our detractors and sworn enemies of the party.
