7th March, 2024
By Ayorinde Oluokun/Abuja
The Labour Party has said its 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi will not abandon the party because of the accusation of corruption being levelled against the chairman, Julius Abure.
The party said this in a statement issued by Obiora Ifoh, its National Publicity Secretary on Wednesday.
The statement was issued in response to a campaign by some supporters of Obi, popularly known as Obidients, that the 2023 presidential candidate should leave Labour Party and go and form another platform because Abure has been embezzling funds belonging to the party.
Some of the supporters of Obi had also published specific allegations of corruption against Abure on social media platforms, especially on X.
But the party, the statement warned “warned those disseminating falsehood against its National Chairman, Barrister Julius Abure using every available social media platforms to desist from further media trial of our leader and rather approach the court if they are convinced of their allegations.
The party also said that the party’s national leader, Peter Obi is not under any pressure to dump the party ahead of 2027 general election over the sustained smear campaign against Julius Abure.
According to Ifoh, Obi has restated his willingness to remain in the party knowing that all the attacks at Abure were sponsored and orchestrated by some political opponents in the high places.
According to him, “It astonishes us how far our detractors can go in ensuring that the party swims from one ocean of crisis to another in their evil desire to create disharmony between the party and our leaders.
“We are aware that Abure is not the target of these ferocious and malicious missiles. We are also aware that huge sums of money has been mapped out to wage a propaganda war against our leader ahead of the 2027 general election.
“The feat of the Labour Party in the last general election rattled not a few persons and the fear of the future has driven them to begin so early to prepare ahead. Part of the strategy is to make any political platform unviable for Obi to sail with.
“The party is also aware that any Political Party Peter Obi finds himself in as a vehicle for the 2027 presidential election including the Labour Party, will not be spared by the political hirelings who are already recruited to dismember such a party.
“Let me emphasis here that even Peter Obi has severally pledged loyalty to the Labour Party due to its social democratic ideology which suits his political vision. Peter Obi will not anymore fellowship with any bourgeoisie party. He is a liberator and not a ruler as seen in the other parties.”
The National Publicity Secretary while also speaking on the corrupt enrichment allegations leveled against the National Chairman, said, “They are spurious, fairy tale, and a calculated attempt to tar the person of Abure with a dark brush. The audit report by the party’s external auditor gave the party a clean bill of health since 2021 when Abure assumed office. As a matter of fact, an earlier forensic audit report carried out in 2017 indicted our suspended Treasurer for fraudulently diverting huge sums of money to personal accounts.
“Abure’s only offence was that he refused to allow the continuation of looting while insisting that accountability must be enthroned. The very official who was the greatest beneficiary of those sleazes became uncomfortable and started wedging wars.
“We are aware that Abure is still living in a rented apartment in Abuja and that he only recently refurbished a bungalow left for him by his late father as the first son. There is also no law in Nigeria forbidding a citizen from owning properties. Those making all these spurious allegation may have to prove them in the court as the case is already before the court.
“It would also interest you to know that no kobo has ever left the Labour Party Bank accounts without a co signatory; either by the National Secretary or the National Treasurer. So the narrative that Abure alone siphoned or diverted the party fund is clearly misleading and orchestrated to muscle him out of office.”