Financial scandal: Labour Party suspends treasurer who ‘exposed’ Abure

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Labour Party (LP) has slammed a six-month suspension on its embattled National Treasurer, Mrs. Oluchi Oparah.

The LP NWC made the announcement during a press conference at the party secretariat on Wednesday in Abuja.

Oparah, however, told Daily Trust that the NWC’s action was premeditated, especially that those who took the action knew she was not in Abuja to meet the 10am Wednesday deadline to appear before a panel.

She had, on Monday, accused the LP National Chairman, Barrister Julius Abure, of mismanaging N3.5bn raised from the sale of nomination forms and fundraising activities in the build-up to the 2023 general election.

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Also, on Tuesday while speaking on Arise TV’s ‘Good Morning Show’, Oparah also claimed that the Abure-led NWC is working hand-in-hand with the Edo State Government which is governed by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

However, at the Wednesday media briefing, the National Publicity Secretary of LP, Mr Obiora Ifoh, said Mrs Oparah is a mole who was being used by dissidents to cause disaffection in the party.

He said that the party decided to sanction after she failed to honour an invitation by the party’s NWC to resolve the crisis.

“After the 2023 general election, Labour Party was marked for total annihilation by the system for daring to upstage the status quo of the political class. Little did we know that the fumigation was far from complete until late last year when signs emanated that our National Treasurer, Ms. Oluchi Oparah, a key member of the executive, turned out to be a mole in the house and has continued networking with the expelled members of the party leadership.”

“Convinced that the treasurer is on a mission to stifle life out of our cherished party, an emergency NWC was summoned on February 13. Arising from the meeting, the NWC set up a disciplinary committee to try Opara for bringing the party to disrepute.

“At the meeting held Tuesday evening February 13, 2024 in Abuja, and presided over by the Deputy National Chairman, Mrs Ladi Iliya, the party extended an invitation to the National Treasurer to appear before it on Wednesday February 14, 2024 by 10am at the Conference Hall of the Party National Headquarters, with the intention of a fair hearing. The party regrets that the treasurer shunned the invitation by the disciplinary committee to clear herself.

“We see this as an affront to the party leadership and millions of our members who are watching how their party’s image which they have laboured hard to build is trolled by one ingrate. The disciplinary committee has, however, recommended to the National Executive Council (NEC) of the party through the NWC that Ms. Oluchi Opara be suspended from Labour Party for a minimum of six months. This suspension is with immediate effect,” Ifoh said.

He also denied that the party raised N3.5bn from sale of forms from the 2023 election.

He said, “We wished that was true but the truth is that the party realised only N1.2bn only from not just sale of forms but also from other sources including membership cards, donations amongst others. The party through the campaign bodies and support groups realized another N800.000.000, a fund solely managed by the Campaign Organisation, not the party.”

It was premeditated, I won’t be silenced -Oparah

Speaking to Daily Trust, Mrs Oparah said she was surprised on why they were so much in a hurry to carry out their already predetermined actions.

She said that since the allegations are there for them to clarify, in a sane environment, the right thing for them to do would have been for them to dive and investigate this properly.

“There were allegations of forgery. I mentioned that on live television. And they were so quick to suspend me. They have done a very bad job. They are not supposed to do what they have done. Nigerians are watching.

“In a sane environment, the right thing for them to do would have been for them to thoroughly investigate to know if Julius Abure actually forged the signature of a dead man. Why were they so much in a hurry to carry out whatever it is they have just done? An NWC meeting that was held without me, they called that meeting yesterday, not even inviting me, when I know I am still part of the NWC.

“And I was not invited. That is to say that they already passed a judgment on me. They already passed a judgment on me. Because if not, they asked that I appear before them. And I humbly replied to them that I will be with them. Of course, they already had what they wanted to do in mind. They went ahead to do what they did.

She said that before she was removed from the WhatsApp platform, she replied that that as a law abiding party member, she would be honoured the invitation, but that there was no flight till 2.30pm on Wednesday 14 February, thus they should extend the schedule till 4.00pm same day.