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…my signature was forged to take Party funds- Ex-Ag. national chair

The last has not been heard about the crisis of confidence which has engulfed the leadership of the Labour Party over the administration of party funds.

National Treasurer of the party, Ms. Oluchi Oparah, who was suspended by the Comrade Julious Abure-led National Working Committee (NWC), for six months, has instituted a court action seeking to compel the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), to probe Abure and look at the party’s financial records.

It was gathered in Abuja, on Sunday, that she instituted the legal action on February 15,2024.

In the suit, filed on her behalf by her lawyer, Emeka Etiaba, SAN, Okpara is also asking the court to nullify her six months suspension on the grounds that she wasn’t given a fair hearing before the action was taken.

Her prayers are contained in an Originating summons with file number: FHC /ABj/CS/202/2024 dated February 15 2024.

In it, her legal counsel, Emeka Etiaba, SAN, filed the action pursuant to order 3 rule 7 of the federal high court ( civil procedure) rules, 2019 and under the inherent jurisdiction of “this honourable court,” his client is asking the court whether it is not under the EFCC rules to investigate forgery.

In an accompanying affidavit deposed by Oluchi Oparah, she said, “I wrote a letter to the first Defendant (EFCC,) bringing a formal Petition dated the 14” of February, 2024 against the National Chairman of the Labour party Comrade Julius Abure, the 2nd Defendant ni this Suit for several grievous offences bordering on forgery, embezzlement of the 3rd Defendant’s funds, and abuse of office and failure to account for 3rd Defendant’s funds at his disposal. The letter is annexed as Exhibit A.

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“The 2nd Defendant assumed the position of Acting National Chairman ni January, 2021 following the demise of his predecessor, Alhaji Abdulkadir Abdulsalam, on the 29th of December, 2020. He subsequently began a pattern of financial recklessness and lack of accountability that has characterised his tenure to date.

“The most grievous act of impropriety by 2” Defendant pertains to his forgery of the signature of the late Alhaji Abdulsalam, 61 (Sixty-One) days after Abdulsalam’s death with which he withdrew monies from the account of the Defendant’s account.

“The 2nd Defendant proceeded to unilaterally sign several bank cheques and depleted the balances in the 3rDefendant’s Zenith Bank account (Account No.1010984346) without recourse to any other member of the National Working Committee.

“The sum of N14,000,000.00 (Fourteen Million Naira only) had been lodged into the aforementioned account on 18 of February 2022, 51 days after the death of the erstwhile National Chairman.

“Between the 28of February and 7th of March, 2022, the 2 Defendant prepared and presented several cheques supposedly counter-signed by the late Alhaji Abdulkadir for payment at the Ceddi Plaza branch of Zenith Bank Plc in Abuja.

‘The monies paid earlier into the referenced account were completely depleted by: the 2 Defendant. The 2nd Defendant unilaterally signed the withdrawal instruments as acting National Secretary and forged the signature of his predecessor, the late Abdulsalam ni order ot deplete the 3rdDefendant’s funds, without the knowledge of or recourse to the NWC.

“These criminal actions represent the beginning of the high level of corruption that has now come to define the 2nd Defendant’s tenure as National Chairman of the 3rd Defendant.” , she stated in the petition to the EFCC and federal high court

She explained that within the period under review, “large sums of money were raised from the sale of nomination forms for the several elections held in 2023.

“Apart from proceeds from Edo State (in 2024) which the 2nd Defendant actually diverted to his personal accounts, the 2nd Defendant declared only N55 million out of about N3 billion raised, failing to account for the balance. This undeclared balance from sale of nomination forms as well as all donations received from followers and sympathizers of H.E. Peter Obi, remains unaccounted till date and al requests for accountability have been rebuffed by the 2nd Defendant.”

She further deposed that, “During off-cycle elections in Imo, Bayelsa, Kogi, Plateau, Ebonyi, and Lagos States ni 2023, the 3rd Defendant raised about N958 million from sale of nomination forms and donations paid into the 3rd Defendant’s official Bank accounts. However the 2nd Defendant embezzled some of the said funds without due process, paper trail or documentation, making serial unauthorised transfers to persons and family members.

“Specifically, N248 million, N210 million, N190 million, N180 million, N120 million, and N10 million were realised from nomination forms sales anf donations for the Imo, Bayelsa, Kogi gubernatorial elections as wel as the Plateau, Ebonyi and Lagos bye-elections respectively but, there are no records of how these funds were expended.”

She claimed that as the national treasurer of the party that she was completely sidelined from its affairs.

The treasurer also claimed that whilst on a fundraising tour in the United States of America (USA) in August 2023, the 2n Defendant raised hundreds of thousands of dollars from the Nigerians diaspora sympathetic for Peter Obi and the 3rd Defendant. Till date, the 2nd Defendant has refused to hand over or account a single dollar to her as National Treasurer or broader National Working Committee (NWC) essentially

She further claimed that Abure unilaterally prepared a hoax Audit Report for the period June 2022 to May 2023, and that he tried to get her and the NWC to endorse it but she rejected the Report, being fully aware of its falsehood.

According to Oluchi Oparah, “When I challenged the figures, the 2nd Defendant tried to induce me with various bribes ranging from cash to automobiles and even real estate, which I outrightly rejected.”

‘There is now incontrovertible evidence that the 2nd Defendant has sunk the proceeds of his loot from the 3rd Defendant into properties worth billions of Naira: These include choice properties ni Abuja, Benin City, a home ni Uromi, and higli- end apartments in Italy. Purchase documents show many of these were bought between February 2022 and December 2023, subsequent ot the peak of fundraising for the 2023 elections.

“This is in stark contrast to the 2nd Defendant’s financial status before assuming office in 2021 when he did not own a single property. Party elders can testify thất as of December 2020, the 2 Defendant had no significant assets to his name. His abrupt wealth is clearly the result of corruption and abuse of office as 3n

” The 2nd Defendant has deliberately and repeatedly undermined my authority as National Treasurer by denying me access ot the 3dr Defendant’s Bank accounts and transaction records, in violation of the 3 Defendant’s Constitution. My duties include: custody of the 3rd Defendant’s funds and oversight of the 3rd Defendant’s budgets, accounts and finances but the 2nd Defendant has rendered my role redundant. Annexed as Exhibit C is the 3* Defendant’s Constitution. 23.Specifically, the 2nd Defendant has refused ot mandate the opening of a proper Treasury Office for me to function effectively. Al financial documents artd records are kept with the 2nd Defendant and inner caucus alone.

In view of these allegations, she said, “In the light of the foregoing actions bordering on financial crimes, forgery, bribery, money laundering, contravention of electoral laws and attempts to obstruct justice, 1respectfully requested the defendant to comprehensively investigate the activities of the 2nd Defendant from January 2021 till date.

‘The actions of the 2nd Defendant has have brought immense disrepute ot our great Party and betrayed the trust of millions of Nigerians, who believe in the ideologies and principles of the 3″ Defendant.”

She also asked the court to quash her suspension because it did not follow the due process of law as she was not given fair hearing before her purported suspension.

A new twist has also been added to the saga with a fresh allegation by a former Acting National Chairman of the party, Mrs. Maria Labara, who acted in that capacity shortly after the sudden death of Abdulladir Abdulsalam in December, 2020.

She also denied signing any cheque between February 7, 2022 and March 18, 2022, the period when the said Ñ14 million and two instances of N7 million were withdrawn from the account of the party by Abure

Mrs Labaka, made these claims during an interview she grated Arise Television, on Saturday, Labaka, said, “The cheques between February 7 and March 18, I did not sign them. I only signed the cheques for March 29 meeting in Benin for the National Working Committee members and states chairmen of the party.

“I also Abure forged my signature for the change signatures as national chairman.”