Claims made by the National Chairman of the Labour Party, Julius Abure, that only Aisha Yesufu and Pastor Itua Ighodalo, were responsible for managing the campaign funds of LP presidential candidate, Peter Obi, at the 2023 election, has been debunked by the Obi-Datti fundraising team.
Abure on Monday had told journalists in Abuja after a meeting of the National Executive Council that there was no iota of truth in the allegation that he embezzled the party’s campaign donations.
The embattled national chairman emphasised that there was no way he could have accessed any funds since he was not involved directly in the management of the presidential flag candidate.
Reacting in a viral video posted on her official YouTube account on Tuesday, Yesufu, who doubled as the chairman of the campaign fundraising team, described Abure’s statement as a ‘big fat lie’.
She said, “That statement Abure made was a big fat lie. He thinks it was like those days when they used to do their Labour unionism when nobody had internet or keep records; those days they got away with everything. When it comes to certain things, I am a very detailed and process-driven person.
“There were times when the fundraising team was frustrated with me because of my insistence on due process. Before Mr Obi came out with his campaign account, the Labour Party had theirs. I have with me here a ‘Labour Party N1,000 Challenge’ post that was tweeted on 24/11/22. It said ‘Take ownership of the LP campaign by donating a minimum of N1,000 to Labour Party Zenith Account 1225832294.
“When that account was opened by Abure, I was very angry. I remember some people harmlessly saying it was no big deal since it was for the same Labour Party campaign. But I insisted that it is not the same thing because we don’t have access to any money that went into the LP account and therefore can’t use it to facilitate the electioneering campaign.
“So for Julius Abure to come out in 2024 to blatantly lie that they were not involved in any campaign, that it was only Aisha Yesufu and Pastor Itua (is unbelievable). By the way, there are three signatories, not two as he said. Up till now, the LP has not accounted for the money the public donated to them neither have they accounted for the money used to procure forms.”
