On Wednesday, the Labour Party suspended its national treasurer, Oluchi Opara, for six months for making false allegations against the party.

Obiora Ifoh, the party’s spokesman, said this at a news conference in Abuja.

Mr Ifoh said Ms Opara had dragged the party’s name into the mud by falsely mentioning financial misappropriation against the leadership. He said she was suspended after she failed to appear before a five-man committee set on the issue.

“Opara alleged that the party amassed a whooping N3.5 billion from sales of forms from the 2023 election. We wished that was true, but the truth is that the party realised only N1.2 billion from not just sales of forms but also from other sources, including membership cards and donations, amongst others.

“The party, through the campaign bodies and support groups, realised another N800 million, a fund solely managed by the campaign organisation, not the party,” said the party’s spokesman.

He added, “The party accounts have been properly audited up till June 2023 and have since been submitted and received by INEC; not many political parties have submitted their 2022 audited accounts.”

Mr Ifof said the allegation that the audited account was doctored was a matter of libel which had been taken note of. He added that clarification would be sought from Ms Opara as to how banks’ transactions were falsified, as auditors only work with evidence of transactions emanating from statements from the banks.

He said the Labour Party’s National Working Committee (NWC) raised a five-man investigation committee to take a critical look at the allegation by Ms Opara with the mandate to resolve the issue.

“The national treasurer and indeed all members of the NWC were present at the meeting and endorsed the committee. It was indeed a rude shock that, in total disregard to the NWC position and troubleshooting efforts, the National Treasurer, three days after, reneged on the understanding that all attacks and diatribes cease for peace to reign.

“Opara disregarded constituted authority by addressing a world press conference and also appeared on Arise television where she disparaged the person of our national chairman and brought the party to opprobrium,’’ he said.

He said the NWC called an emergency meeting on Tuesday, convinced that the suspended treasurer was trying to stifle the Labour Party. 

He said at the meeting, the NWC extended an invitation to Ms Opara to appear before it to discuss the recent development, but she shunned the invitation by the disciplinary committee to clear herself and her actions.

“The party sees this as an affront to its leadership and its members. The disciplinary committee has, however, recommended to the National Executive Council of the party through the National Working Committee that Ms Oluchi Opara be suspended from the LP for a minimum of six months. ’This 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.

Mr Ifoh said after the 2023 election, the party’s existence continued to be threatened, with its members lured to cause chaos.

“It is no longer news that a few months ago, five members of the National Working Committee of the party chose to be agents of disintegration, and the whole nation stood by us as we flushed them out.

“Smarting from that euphoria, little did we know that the fumigation was far from complete until late last year when signs emanated that the national treasurer, a key member of the executive, turned to be a mole in the house,’’ he said.

(NAN)