Obi: External auditor will examine LP’s accounts over allegation of misappropriation

Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 elections, says an auditor has been contracted to examine the party’s finances.

On Monday, Oluchi Opara, national treasurer of the LP, accused Julius Abure, national chair of the party, of misappropriating N3.5 billion belonging to the party.

She said the N3.5 billion was proceeds of sale of forms and fundraising activities in the buildup to the 2023 elections.

The national treasurer said she was compelled to raise the alarm because the “internal mechanisms” of the party failed to hold the party chairman to account. 

In its reaction, the party said Opara was being influenced by “external forces” intent on destroying the LP, and suspended her. 

In a press conference on Thursday, Obi who was accompanied by Aisha Yesufu, a member of his 2023 campaign team, said he is not involved in the accounting of the party’s finances.

He added that he is not a signatory to any of the party’s campaign accounts. 

“I’m not involved in the party accounting. I’m not part of the party management. Even the campaign accounts, I’m not signatory to any or any groups’ accounts,” he said.

“The money people gave me was paid into one account or the other which was properly managed because I knew there would be days like this. I assure you, we will account for everything.

“That is why I am calling on every member of the public with leads to where they think these millions and billions were paid into, or given to people in cash, to come forward.

“People actually supported us more in kind than in cash. We had people who paid for our logistics, flights and took care of expenses. 

“For the Labour Party issue, we are not going to solve it by saying ‘she say, they say’. We now have an independent person who will tell us which way forward.”

Abure has threatened to sue Opara over the allegations.