N3.5bn scandal: Labour Party crisis deepens, as NWC suspends Treasurer

…Accuse Treasurer of being used by an agent of disintegration

The crisis rocking the Labour Party (LP) continues to deepen as the party has suspended National Treasurer, Ms Oluchi Okpara.

The Party on Tuesday disclosed that the National Working Committee of the Labour Party (LP) ordered the immediate suspension of the party’s National Treasurer for her allegation of financial impropriety against the National Chairman, Comrade Julius Abure.

The party had earlier announced the constitution of a disciplinary panel to investigate her demand that Abure be made to account for N3.5 billion being proceeds of the sale of forms and revenue generated from other sources during the 2023 general elections.

The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Obiora Ifoh, who announced the decision of the NWC at a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, accused the Treasurer of playing out the script of disgruntled former party members.

He said, “At the meeting held Tuesday evening, February 13, 2024, in Abuja, in the exercise of its powers as contained in the Party’s Constitution with the intention of a fair hearing, the NWC extended an invitation to the National Treasurer to appear before it on Wednesday, February 14, 2024, by 10 a.m. (12 hours) to discuss the recent development.

“The party regrets that the National Treasurer shunned the invitation by the disciplinary committee to clear herself and her actions.

“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 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.

“It is no longer news that a few months ago, five members of the National Working Committee of the party chose to be agents of disintegration, and the whole nation stood by us as we flushed them out.

“Smarting from that euphoria, little did we know that the fumigation was far from complete until late last year, when signs emanated that our National Treasurer, Ms Oluchi Opara, 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.

“It may surprise you to know that the text of the press conference by Ms Opara was actually written for her since November 2023 by the camp of the dissident former members, a copy she tendered in one of our December NWC meetings.

“The leadership of the party made a series of efforts to dissuade her from not pulling down the roof of the home she has lived in for 10 years as the longest-serving treasurer in the history of political parties in Nigeria.

“Before I address her trumped-up allegations, point by point, it would be important to let the world know that when someone is compromised, albeit pecuniary, and when you can’t match the stake, nothing on earth can stop the inevitable.

“Because the party was smarting out of a crisis and afraid of further crisis, it pleaded with Ms Opara to toe the path of honour not to conflagrate the party and even made her some promises.

“But her insistence on a brand new car, a duplex in the highbrow area of Abuja, and a huge sum as her price eventually truncated whatever pacification efforts.

“Now, to some of her ridiculous allegations bordering on abuse of office and misappropriation of party funds, Julius Abure took over the reins of the party in 2021 after the death of the former Chairman, Alhaji A. Abdulsalam, in December of 2020.

“A former Deputy National Chairman, Mrs Maria Lebeke, emerged as the acting National Chairman, with, of course, Abure as the National Secretary. Ms Opara alleged that Abure forged the signature of the late chairman two months after his death to withdraw huge sums of money, but her memory was too short to remember that Abure only emerged as 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.”

He further said, “When Abure assumed office, it dawned on him as the Chief Accounting Officer of the party to build a proper accounting method, which never existed throughout the eight years (as of 2022) of Ms Opara’s service as the Treasurer of the party.

“The real reason she was made a treasurer is a discussion for another day, but we dare her to present a single document of the party’s financial records from 2014 to 2021.

“The problem this NWC has with her was the insistence that a proper financial record be kept. The party has grown from a portfolio party to a dinosaur party in the last year, and there arose a need to do the proper thing.

“She also alleged that the party amassed a whopping N3.5 billion from the sale of forms from the 2023 election.

“We wished that was true, but the truth is that the party realised only N1.2 billion 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, realised another N800.000.000, a fund solely managed by the campaign organisation, not the party.

“The party accounts have been properly audited up until June 2023 and have since been submitted and received by INEC. It may surprise you to know that not many political parties have submitted their 2022 audited accounts.

“The allegation that the audited account was doctored is a matter of libel, which we have taken note.

“She will be made to give further clarification as to how banks’ transactions are falsified, as auditors only work with evidence of transactions emanating from statements from the banks.

“The NWC, as one its mandate to resolve any crisis in the party through its internal mechanisms procedure, met on Friday (09-02-2024) last week and raised a five-man investigation committee to take a critical look at the allegations that emanated from the National Treasurer, with the mandate to within one month resolve the impasse and make recommendations to the whole committee.

“The National Treasurer and, indeed, all members of the NWC were present at the meeting and endorsed the committee.

“It was indeed a rude shock that, in total disregard to the NWC position and troubleshooting efforts, the National Treasurer, three days later, reneged on the understanding that all attacks and diatribes cease for peace to reign.

“The National Treasurer, on Monday, February 12th, also disregarded the constituted authority of the party by addressing a world press conference where she disparaged the person of our national chairman and also brought the party to opprobrium.

“Not satisfied with the public humiliation, the National Treasurer on the following day appeared in ARISE television programme to further disrepute the party and misinform millions of viewers on the internal affairs of the party against the rules and regulations of the party.”

The party spokesman reiterated that the party leadership was convinced beyond any reasonable doubt that the National Treasurer is on a mission to stifle life out of the party; hence, it summoned Tuesday’s emergency meeting, where the disciplinary committee was set up to address her issue.

He assured teeming members and supporters of the party that the party is being repositioned to strengthen it and provide a credible alternative political platform for Nigeria’s progress.