The Labour Party (LP) has suspended its National Treasurer, Oluchi Opara, for six months. The party’s spokesman, Obiora Ifoh, announced this at a conference at the LP national headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday.
According to him, the suspension is with immediate effect. Ifoh said contrary to allegations of abuse levelled against the leadership of the party by Opara, the party only realised N1.2 billion donations from members and sales of forms to some aspirants in the 2023 polls.
Ifoh alleged that Opara was being sponsored by the same people who used Lamidi Apapa, Anslem Eragbe, and Yomi Arabambi to derail the party.
The party spokesman said the Labour Party is stronger and that all attacks on its National Chairman, Julius Abure, will continue to fail.
He said, “Opara alleged that Abure forged signature of the late chairman (Alhaji A. Abdulsalam) two months after his death to withdraw huge sums of money but her memory was so short to remember that Abure only emerged as the Chairman about four months after the demise of the former Chairman. She also forgot in a hurry that she and the late chairman exclusively operated the accounts of the party.
“She also alleged that the party amassed a whooping N3.5 billion naira from sale of forms from the 2023 election. We wished that was true but the truth is that the party realised only N1.2 billion 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.
“The party accounts have been properly audited up till June 2023 and have since been submitted and received by INEC.”
“The disciplinary committee has however recommended to the National Executive Council of the party through the National Working Committee that Ms Oluchi Opara be suspended from the Labour Party for a minimum of 6 months. This suspension is with immediate effect,” he said.