Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
The National Treasurer of the Labour Party (LP), Oluchi Okpara has bagged six months suspension over her fraud and abuse of office allegations levelled against the party and its National Chairman, Julius Abure.
Truth Live News Media reports that Okpara, at a press conference, on Monday, accused Abure of financial mismanagement and challenged the national chairman to account for the more than N3.5 billion the LP made from the sale of nomination and expression of interest forms during the 2023 general election.
Addressing a press conference, yesterday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, refuted every accusation made by Okpara against Abure, stating that she had been a mole inside the party who connived with outside forces to bring it down.
The treasurer, according to Obiora, disregarded the constituted authority that was put in place by the party to look into her allegations and handle the problem internally when she went ahead with the press conference.
He said she also ignored a Wednesday summons from the disciplinary committee that was established by an emergency National Working Committee (NWC) to look into her case.
The spokesperson also accused Okpara of demanding a brand new car, a duplex in the highbrow area of Abuja and a huge sum as her price when the party begged her to be calmed and let the committee it had established to look into the accusations she had made.
“Not pleased with the public humiliation, the national treasurer, on the following day, appeared in a television programme to further disrepute the party and misinformed millions of viewing public on the internal affairs of the party against the rules and regulations of the party.
“Convinced that the national treasurer is on a mission to stifle life out of our very cherished party, an emergency NWC was summoned yesterday. Arising from the meeting, the NWC set up a disciplinary committee to try Opara for bringing the party to disrepute.
“At the meeting on Tuesday in Abuja, in 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 yesterday by 10am (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 on 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 NWC, that Opara be suspended from the Labour Party for a minimum of six months. This suspension is with immediate effect.
“We sincerely regret this development. We, however, urge our members to understand this is a price to pay for success. We will continue to reform the party until we achieve the best, good enough to drive our New Nigeria agenda.”