LP crisis deepens as embattled National Treasurer sues party, seeks EFCC probe
The last has not been heard about the crisis of confidence which has engulfed the leadership of Labour Party over the administration of party funds.
National Treasurer of the party, Ms. Oluchi Oparah, who was suspended by the Comrade Julius Abure-led National Working Committee, NWC, for six months, has instituted a court action seeking to compel the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to probe Abure and look at the party’s financial records.
It was gathered in Abuja yesterday that she instituted the legal action on February 15, 2024.
In the suit, filed on her behalf by her lawyer, Emeka Etiaba, SAN, Okpara is also asking the court to nullify her six months suspension on the grounds that she wasn’t given fair hearing before the action was taken.
Her prayers are contained in an Originating summons with file number: FHC /ABj/CS/202/2024 dated February 15 2024.
In it, her legal counsel, Emeka Etiaba, SAN, filed the action pursuant to order 3 rule 7 of the Federal High Court (civil procedure) rules, 2019 and under the inherent jurisdiction of “this honourable court,” his client is asking the court whether it is not under the EFCC rules to investigate forgery.
In an accompanying affidavit deposed to by Oluchi Oparah, she said: “I wrote a letter to the first Defendant, EFCC, bringing a formal petition dated February 14, 2024, against the national chairman of Labour party, Comrade Julius Abure, the 2nd Defendant in this suit for several grievous offences bordering on forgery, embezzlement of the 3rd Defendant’s funds, and abuse of office and failure to account for 3rd Defendant’s funds at his disposal. The letter is annexed as Exhibit A.”
A new twist emerges
A new twist has also been added to the saga with a fresh allegation by a former Acting National Chairman of the party, Mrs. Maria Lebeke, who acted in that capacity shortly after the sudden death of Abdulladir Abdulsalam in December, 2020.
She also denied signing any cheque between February 7, 2022 and March 18, 2022, the period when the said Ñ14 million and two instances of N7 million were withdrawn from the account of the party by Abure
Mrs Lebeke, made these claims during an interview she granted Arise Television on Saturday, Labaka, said: “The cheques between February 7 and March 18, I did not sign them. I only signed the cheques for March 29 meeting in Benin for the National Working Committee members and states chairmen of the party.”
