LP suspends Oluchi Oparah after she raised questions over ₦3.5bn funds

Oluchi Opara, the National Treasurer of the Labour Party has been suspended by the party’s National Working Committee for six months.

Opara’s suspension was announced at a press conference on Wednesday, February 14, 2024, at the party secretariat in Abuja.

This is coming two days after she asked the party’s National Chairman, Julius Abure, to account for an alleged ₦3.5 billion at a press conference.

The money was said to have been raised from the sale of nomination forms and fundraising activities during the build-up to the 2023 presidential election.

While speaking on Arise TV on Tuesday, February 13, 2024, Oluchi accused the Abure-led NWC of working with the PDP-led government in Edo State ahead of the forthcoming governorship election in the state.

Reacting to the allegation, the National Publicity Secretary of LP, Obiora Ifoh, said Opara is being used by dissidents within the party.

He described her as a mole, who according to him has been working with expelled members of the party.

Obiora said, “After the 2023 general election, 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.”

He said in a bid to address the conflict in the party, the NWC invited Opara to clear herself before the party’s disciplinary committee but she shunned the invitation.

Consequently, the disciplinary committee advised the National Executive Council to suspend her for a minimum of six months.

“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,” Obiora added.