There is no respite yet for the embattled National Chairman of the Labour Party, LP.
This followed the decision, on Sunday, by 36 state chairmen of the party who demanded the resignation from his position to allow investigation into his alleged misappropriation of over N3.5 billion campaign fund.
The magazine reports that the National Treasurer of the party accused Abure last week of misappropriating the sum, and has refused to be accountable.
Some party officials including its presidential candidate in last year’s election, Peter Obi has demanded a thorough probe of the alleged financial scam.
Abure has however defended himself saying he is innocent of the allegation. In spite of this, not a few watching what is going on in the party, insist that the current pressure on the National Chairman may be too much for him to retain his position.
“The fact that Obi has waded into the matter is a pointer that the problem is a serious one which may likely consume Abure. The party prides itself as incorruptible. They would need to show Nigerians that they mean it. What happens to Abure next would determine whether the party is serious,’ a political analyst said on Sunday.
Demanding that Abure gave up his position, the 36 state chairmen stated during an interaction with journalists in Abuja, the nation’s capital that this is to allow thorough investigation into the alleged financial scam.
Abure cannot be a judge in his own case, Solomon Ndem, Plateau State labour Party Chairman and the leader of the Forum, said.
According to the forum: “We stand before you with a profound appreciation for the responsiveness of HE Peter G. Obi, a stalwart in our party, for his swift action in response to the call for the external auditing of the LP accounts. This gesture underscores his unwavering commitment to transparency and the principles of the New Nigeria project.
“However, we find ourselves at a critical juncture where we must address certain internal matters for the sake of our party’s integrity in the spirit of openness and accountability as elected Chairmen of Labour Party in Nigeria, we wish to address certain concerns that have come to our attention,” the Forum stressed.
“We are appealing to His Excellency, Peter G. Obi, Senator Ahmed Datti, and other distinguished personalities within the party to join us in requesting Barrister Julius Abure to step aside.
“This step is essential to facilitate the establishment of an independent investigative panel that will thoroughly examine various allegations, including the misappropriation of funds level against him by the Treasurer of our Party and indeed the complaints of forgery and impersonation by a lot of our party aggrieved members.
“It is crucial that no one acts as a judge in his own case, and we believe this measure will ensure a fair and impartial inquiry.”
Meanwhile, the question on the lips of not a few Nigerians is whether Abure will bow to pressure to resign.
