The Obi-Datti fundraising team has dismissed Monday’s claim by Labour Party National Chairman Julius Abure, who asserted that only Aisha Yesufu and Pastor Itua Ighodalo were responsible for managing the campaign funds of LP presidential candidate Peter Obi during the 2023 election.
Abure made this statement to journalists in Abuja following a meeting of the National Executive Council, where he denied allegations of embezzling the party’s campaign donations.
The embattled national chairman stressed that he could not have accessed any funds, as he was not directly involved in managing the campaign finances for the presidential candidate.
Read Also: Aisha Yesufu, Ighodalo Managed Obi’s Campaign Funds, Not LP – Abure
He said, “ The party and I have been accused of being responsible for Peter Obi’s failure in the 2023 general election. They stated that the campaign, election donations and funds for the payment of agents were mismanaged by the party hence Peter Obi failed in the election.
“The election funding was done by Obi himself. As per the donations, the party was not involved. The signatories to these accounts were Aisha Yesufu and Pastor Itua Ighodalo. They were equally responsible for the payment of Polling Unit Agents.
“Consequently, it is mischievous for any person to accuse me and the party of mismanagement of these funds. At no time did the Party or its officials engage in any financial transactions as it relates to the presidential campaign.”
Read Also: BREAKING: CDS Gives Update On Notorious Terrorist Kingpin, Bello Turji
In a video posted on her official YouTube channel on Tuesday, Yesufu, who served as the chair of the campaign fundraising team, accused Abure of lying.
The activist also urged the national chairman to explain to Nigerians what happened to the proceeds from the ‘Labour Party N1,000 Challenge’ campaign donations he has been collecting since 2022.
Shee 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, saying 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.”
The allegations and counter-allegations emerge six months after Yesufu revealed that the fundraising team had collected N596 million in donations from party supporters, Obidient movements, and well-meaning Nigerians worldwide.
She also noted that Obi spent N744,500,000 on legal battles following his loss in the 2023 presidential election.
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaihFajBadmT29ufud2Z
