Labour Party’s (LP) confusion seems unending as its State Chairmen have posited that N3.5 billion belonging to the Party was not misappropriated.
They also passed a confidence vote on the embattled National Chairman of LP, Julius Abure, and called on the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party to reconsider the six months suspension slammed on the National Treasurer of the party, Oluchi Oparah.
Recall that Oparah challenged the LP chairman to account for N3.5 billion raised from the sale of nomination forms and fundraising activities in the build-up to the 2023 general election.
To this end, LP’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, ordered that an external auditor probes the situation.
However, following an emergency meeting held at the national secretariat in Abuja on Tuesday, Chairman of Labour Party Council of State Chairmen, Ceekay Igara, lamented that it was unfortunate how the National Working Committee allowed external forces to create a crisis to unsettle the Party they painstakingly built.
Igara, addressing journalists also denied that the council was behind the vote of no confidence passed on Abure on Sunday by a group.
While backing the call for a forensic audit of the party account, the council chairman said it was convinced that no money was misappropriated as against the claim of the suspended national treasurer.
READ ALSO: ‘Julius Abure Should Step Aside For Probe’ —State LP Chairmen To Peter Obi Over N3.5bn Fraud
He said, “The audit report prepared by the external auditor is very clear about the finances of the party. Let me emphatically state here that our money is not missing. We didn’t generate N3.5b as claimed by the now-suspended national treasurer.
“We can confirm that the party only realised N1.3 million during the 2023 general election and another N700m donation, which was used by the Presidential Campaign Council.
“All these monies were lodged in the banks and were promptly receipted. The audit is also clear about the money generated during the off-season elections and how it was managed. From the records, virtually all the cheques were signed by her and the national chairman. It is obvious she may have been influenced to lie against the national chairman.
“Our leader, Peter Obi, has mediated privately on this matter. He is also aware that the sustained attacks against Abure are sponsored and politically motivated. His decision to involve an independent auditor is a welcome development and we believe that the outcome will exonerate Julius Abure as well as expose the lies being peddled by the suspended treasurer.”
The Chairmen further debunked the “allegation that the Labour Party are planning to suspend our National Leader, Peter Obi. Like we said earlier, our party is under worst siege ever, including unleashing fierce propaganda against the party.
“The party has not at any time contemplated a suspension of our leader. He remains our leader and will continue to lead the party in our avowed determination to pull this country out from the strangulation under this present government. We are also using this opportunity to beg our media friends to cease on going media trial against our party and its leaders. What you are witnessing now is orchestrated and will fizzle out very soon.”
