Another allegation of fraud has rocked the Taraba State chapter of the Labour Party weeks after a similar accusation was made in Ogun.

On Tuesday, party executives in Taraba passed a vote of no confidence on their chairperson, Esther Gulam. They accused her of misappropriating N21 million in campaign funds. 

The state organising secretary, Peter Philip, in his address to the press, alleged that Mrs Gulam was working against the interest of the party, filling key positions of the party with her family members, and taking directives from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led state government, acts which constitute anti-party activities. 

Mr Philip alleged that Ms Gulam’s leadership of the party was characterised by a “lack of accountability and transparency in running the affairs of the party in the state.”

Ms Gulam denied the allegations, asking the public to disregard the allegations as false and an attempt to soil her good image.

“I want the national secretariat and all supporters of our party to disregard the information, as it is purely false, targeted at tarnishing my good image and that of my family. I am a loyal party woman, and I am Obedient,” she said.

The tussle has again brought to fore, internal party wranglings that has beset the Peter Obi/Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed presidential campaign.

In November, Ogun State executives of the party accused the Director-General of the party’s national campaign, Doyin Okupe, of similar misconduct bordering on his diversion of campaign funds for personal use and appointing his associates and family members into key positions of the campaign council at the detriment of foundational party members. 

The party rebuffed the accusers and instead dissolved the Ogun executives of the party for alleged anti-party activities.

A spokesperson for the Obi/Baba-Ahmed campaign council did not immediately respond to requests for comments on how these crises are likely to affect the party’s chances at the polls next year.