Labour Party crisis deepens as National Treasurer accuses Abure of anti-party activities, mismanagement of funds

By Jude Opara, Abuja

The crisis rocking the Labour Party (LP) deepened on Tuesday as the National Treasurer of the party, Mrs. Oluchi Oparah, has insisted that the party’s National Chairman, Barrister Julius Abure has some questions to answer concerning the management of funds that accrued to the party.
Oparah also accused the Chairman of engaging in anti-party activities, especially in the forthcoming Edo state governorship election.
The treasurer who made the allegation on while featuring on Arise Television’s Morning Show programme monitored in Abuja also accused Abure of high-handedness, including running the affairs of the opposition party as his personal empire.
It could be recalled that earlier on Monday, the National Treasurer who addressed a press conference challenged Abure to render account of over N3.5 billion, alleged to have been generated from the sale of forms to for the three off-cycle elections in Kogi, Imo and Bayelsa states last year as well as the next governorship election in Edo state in September. She added that part of the funds was generated from different fundraisers organized for the party’s presidential election in 2023.
Oparah further claimed that Abure prevented her as the treasurer from exercising her constitutionally assigned role of managing the party’s accounts.
In disputing a statement issued by the National Publicity Secretary (NPS) of the party, Obiora Ifoh that she was being sponsored by outsiders to destroy the party, Oparah maintained that she knew they will only resort to blackmail, even as she urged Abure to come out to dispel her allegations.
On the forthcoming Edo state governorship election, Oparah further accused the National Chairman of being in secret alliance with her ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
“I want to state the fact that they are masters at disseminating wrong information. What do I mean by that? When issues like these are being played out, the right thing to be done is to carry out an investigation. And I am speaking from the place of strength, asking that the right thing should be done.
“Now, they are always quick to accuse someone of being sponsored, especially from the opposition party. I want to state it clearly here that if there’s anybody that has any alliance with the opposition, it’s the National Chairman of the Labour Party. Let him come out and say he hasn’t been in talks with the government of Edo State.”
However, Oparah declined to answer the question whether she belongs to the faction of the party led by Lamidi Apapa.