The National Working committee of the Labour Party has suspended the National Treasurer of the party, Oluchi Opara.
Her suspension was announced at a media briefing in Abuja today, Wednesday, 2024.
This is coming on the heels of a grave allegation of financial misappropriation against the National Chairman of the Party, Julius Abure.
Opara had openly accused the National chairman of financial fraud to the tune of N3.5 billion.
Opara who made an appearance on Arise TV on Tuesday also accused Abure of working “hand in hand” with the incumbent Edo State Government to sabotage the party’s effort in the forthcoming 2024 elections.
In reaction to the allegations, the National Publicity Secretary of LP, Obiora Ifoh, implied that Ms Opara may be under the influence of some detractors of the Labour Party.
The spokesman while addressing newsmen announced her suspension, adding that she had failed to appear before the disciplinary committee of the party today, 14th February 2924.
He said,
“After the 2023 general election, Labour Party was marked for total annihilation by the system for daring to upstage the status quo of the political class. Little did we know that the fumigation was far from complete until late last year when signs emanated that our National Treasurer, Ms. Oluchi Opara, a key member of the executive, turned out to be a mole in the house and has continued networking with the expelled members of the party leadership.
Convinced that the treasurer is on a mission to stifle life out of our very cherished party, an emergency NWC was summoned on February 13. Arising from the meeting, the NWC set up a disciplinary committee to try Opara for bringing the party to disrepute.
“To exercise its powers as contained in the party’s Constitution with the intention of a fair hearing, the NWC extended an invitation to her to appear before it today, February 14 by 10 a.m. to discuss the development. The party regrets that the treasurer shunned the invitation by the disciplinary committee to clear herself.
“We see this as an affront to the party leadership and millions of our members who are watching how their party’s image which they have laboured hard to build is trolled by one ingrate.
“The disciplinary committee has, however, recommended to the National Executive Council of the party through the NWC that Ms. Oluchi Opara be suspended from Labour Party for a minimum of six months. This suspension is with immediate effect.”
The statement added that “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.”
