LP suspends treasurer over ‘unfounded’ allegation against nat’l chair

For snubbing internal dispute mechanisms of the party after she alleged abuse of office against the national chairman, Julius Abure, the Labour Party (LP), on Wednesday, suspended Oluchi Okpara, its national treasurer.

The suspension, which is for an initial period of six months, was approved by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) and announced to the press by Obiora Ifoh, the LP national publicity secretary, at the party’s headquarters in Abuja.

Ifoh explained that Okpara brazenly flouted an agreement reached at a meeting of the party hierarchy for an investigation committee to look into her allegations, which include financial irregularities against the chairman, and report back to the NWC.

He disclosed that Okpara disregarded the efforts of the investigation committee and did not honour the invitation of the disciplinary committee, but resorted to disparaging the party through the press.

“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 national working committee that Oluchi Opara be suspended from the Labour Party for a minimum of six months. This suspension is with immediate effect”, Ifoh said.

While countering Okpara’s allegations, the party spokesman declared that she turned out to be a mole representing the interests of five renegade former NWC members who had since been shown the way out of LP.

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

Regarding Okpara’s allegations, he stated: “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 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.

“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.

“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.”