The suspended Nationwide Treasurer of the Labour Celebration, Ms Oluchi Oparah, has challenged the get together’s Nationwide Chairman, Julius Abure, to present an account of the donations acquired from Nigerians within the Diaspora through the marketing campaign tour of LP presidential candidate, Peter Obi, in the US.
The PUNCH reported that the nationwide management of the Labour Celebration despatched Opara on a six-month suspension final week, following her declare that Abure diverted N3.5bn allegedly raised from the sale of nomination kinds and fundraising actions within the build-up to the 2023 common election.
However Abure maintained that there was no N3.5bn raised, saying: “Whole abstract of the cash that entered into the get together was N1.3bn. We additionally bought N800m for the marketing campaign. I wish to problem her to make the information obtainable the place she bought the sum of N3.5bn.”
However not backing down on her allegations, Opara, in a phone interview with our correspondent on Sunday, requested Abure to present an account of the funds raised through the LP presidential marketing campaign tour within the US.
Opara mentioned, “Abure used the identify of the get together to boost funds throughout the US marketing campaign tour. They mirrored in all of the paperwork and tickets I printed out. We’ve got the tickets for $500 and $100 within the identify of the get together. However Abure returned and didn’t drop a dime. We’re speaking a few man who makes use of proxy accounts to withdraw cash from the get together.
“Once more, for 10 to 11 months, Abure has been the one one withdrawing the cash. I don’t know the way he does it, whether or not by forgery or different means. We’re three signatories to the accounts however the third individual, a former chairman, is lifeless now.”
When contacted, Abure denied any wrongdoing, saying Opara was merely out to tarnish his picture.
He mentioned, “We made adjustments to the account. That was how we had been in a position to run the get together from January 2021 to March 2021 once we had the NEC assembly in Benin, the place I emerged because the nationwide chairman of the get together. All the cash withdrawn between January and March 2021 was co-signed with the appearing nationwide chairman, Maria Lebeke.
“I used to be the nationwide secretary on the time and there was no manner I may have withdrawn from the account or any individual may have withdrawn cash with out the co-signatory. We introduced within the new appearing chairman who co-signed all of the cheques, Opara equally co-signed the cheques. So, adjustments of signatories had been made and we wanted to run the get together, and lots of actions of the get together at the moment had been co-signed by Maria Lebeke, and it’s apparent.”
