The suspended Nationwide Treasurer of the Labor Occasion, Mrs. Oluchi Oparah, has challenged the Nationwide Chairman of the celebration, Julius Abure, to account for donations obtained from Nigerians within the Diaspora throughout the marketing campaign tour of LP presidential candidate Peter Obi in the US.
The PONS reported that the nationwide management of the Labor Occasion final week imposed a six-month suspension on Opara, following her allegation that Abure siphoned off N3.5 billion allegedly raised from the sale of nomination kinds and fundraising actions within the run-up to the 2023 common election.
However Abure claimed that N3.5 billion had not been raised, saying: “The whole abstract of the cash coming into the celebration was N1.3 billion. We additionally received N800m for the marketing campaign. I wish to problem her to make out there the data whereby she received the sum of N3.5 billion.
However with out addressing her allegations, Opara in a phone interview with our correspondent on Sunday requested Abure to supply an account of the funds raised throughout the LP's presidential marketing campaign tour within the US.
Opara mentioned: “Abure used the celebration's identify to lift cash throughout the marketing campaign tour of the US. They appeared in all of the paperwork and tickets I printed. Now we have the $500 and $100 tickets within the identify of the celebration. However Abure returned and didn't drop a cent. We’re speaking a couple of man who makes use of proxy accounts to withdraw cash from the celebration.
“Once more, for ten to eleven months, Abure was the one one to withdraw the cash. I don't understand how he does it, by forgery or in any other case. We signed the payments with three signatories, however the third individual, a former chairman, is now lifeless.”
When contacted, Abure denied any wrongdoing and mentioned Opara was solely out to tarnish his picture.
He mentioned: “Now we have made adjustments to the account. That is how we have been in a position to run the celebration from January 2021 to March 2021 once we had the NEC assembly in Benin the place I emerged as nationwide chairman of the celebration. All cash withdrawn between January and March 2021 was co-signed with appearing nationwide chair Maria Lebeke.
“I used to be nationwide secretary on the time and there was no means I may have withdrawn cash from the account, or anybody else may have withdrawn cash with out the co-signer. We introduced within the new appearing chairman who co-signed all of the checks, and Opara additionally co-signed the checks. So adjustments have been made within the signatories and we needed to lead the celebration. Lots of the celebration's actions at the moment have been co-signed by Maria Lebeke, and that’s clear.”
