The Labour Party(LP) has suspended its national Treasurer, Ms Oluchi Opara for six months with immediate effect for bringing the party to disrepute.
The suspension came following the recommendation of a disciplinary committee to its National Executive Council (NEC) through the National Working Committee.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, announced her suspension at a press conference held at the LP secretariat in Abuja, on Wednesday.
Opara had on Monday challenged the party’s National Chairman, Julius Abure, to account for an alleged N3.5 billion raised from the sale of nomination forms and fundraising activities in the build-up to the 2023 general elections.
While speaking on Arise TV’s ‘Good Morning Show’ on Tuesday, Opara again claimed that the Abure-led NWC is working hand-in-hand with the Edo State Government, which is governed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Speaking on the allegations on Wednesday, Ifoh described Opara as a mole, who was being used by dissidents in the party.
Mr Ifoh indicated that contrary to Oparah’s misinformation, the sum of N1.2 billion, and not N3.5 billion, was realised from the sale of forms to aspirants in 2023, membership cards, donations and other sources.
The party also disclosed that N800 million was given to it by campaign bodies and support groups,as this was “solely managed by the campaign organisation, not the party.”
He alleged that the text of the press conference Ms Opara read was “written for her since November 2023 by the camp of the dissident former members,” which he said the National Treasurer tendered a copy at one of its National Working Committee (NWC) meetings in December last year.
“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 10 years as the longest serving treasurer in the history of the political party in Nigeria,” Ifoh stated.
He disclosed that the party’s accounts have been audited up till June 2023 and was submitted and received by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), but denied the allegation that the audited account was doctored.
Ifoh threatened that Ms Oparah would be made to give clarification as to how the party’s bank’s transactions were falsified.
The party’s spokesperson disclosed that a 5-man investigation committee was raised at the NWC meeting last Friday, “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 committee of the whole.
“The National Treasurer and, indeed all members of the NWC were present at the meeting and endorsed the committee.”
He said that the decision to sanction her was taken after she failed to honour the NWC’s invitation to resolve the conflict.
“After the 2023 general elections, Labour Party was marked for total annihilation by the system for daring to upstage the status quo of the political class. 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.
“Convinced that the treasurer is on a mission to stifle life out of our very cherished party, an emergency NWC was summoned on February 13. Arising from the meeting, the NWC set up a disciplinary committee to try Opara for bringing the party to disrepute.
“To exercise its powers as contained in the party’s constitution with the intention of a fair hearing, the NWC extended an invitation to her to appear before it today, February 14 by 10 a.m. to discuss the development. The party regrets that the treasurer shunned the invitation by the disciplinary committee to clear herself.
“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 NWC that Ms. Oluchi Opara be suspended from Labour Party for a minimum of six months. This suspension is with immediate effect.
“We sincerely regret this development. We, however, urge our teeming members to understand that 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,” he said.