The 36 State Chairmen of the Labour Party including FCT, have dismissed plans to suspend Peter Obi, the party’s Presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections.
The chairmen said this during a solidarity visit to the LP National Chairman, Julious Abure, at the party’s National Headquarters in Abuja, on Tuesday, February 20.
Chairman, Council of State Chairmen of the party, Ceekay Igara, said they were satisfied with the day-to-day running of party affairs by the Abure-led NWC.
Igara said;
“We also want to use this opportunity to debunk the allegation that the Labour Party are planning to suspend our National Leader, Peter Obi.
“Like we said earlier, our party is under worst siege ever, including unleashing fierce propaganda against the party.
“The party has not at any time contemplated a suspension of our leader. He remains our leader and will continue to lead the party in our avowed determination to pull this nation out from the strangulation under this present government.
“We are also using this opportunity to beg our media friends to cease on going media trial against our party and its leaders. What you are witnessing now is orchestrated and will fizzle out very soon”.
On the alleged misappropriation of N3.5bn party funds, Igara said;
“Let me emphatically state here that our money is not missing. We didn’t generate N3.5b as claimed by the now suspended National Treasurer.
“We can confirm that the party only realized N1.3 million during the 2023 general election and another Seven Hundred Million naira donations which was used by the Presidential Campaign Council.
“All these monies were lodged in the banks and were promptly receipted. The audit is also clear about the money generated during the off season elections and how it was managed.
“Her allegation that the National Chairman didn’t allow her perform her duties was also a huge lies. In all our financial dealings with the national headquarters, she has always being the officer that has attended to us. From the records, virtually all the cheques were signed by her and the National Chairman.
“It is obvious she may have been influenced to lie against the National Chairman.
“You may be wondering why our National Leader and Presidential Candidate in the last general election, Peter Obi, seems to be silent on this matter.
“The truth is that our leader has mediated privately on this matter, he is also aware that the sustained attacks against Barrister Abure are sponsored and are politically motivated.
“Again, our leader knows the role the National Chairman played during the process of his joining the party, after he joined the party and even during the campaign; he is aware of the immense sacrifices made by the leadership of the party for the project to become a reality.
“He is also aware that all the allegations are unfounded and spurious. That is why he chose to remain silent because he knows the truth.
“He also knows that the national chairman is honest and dedicated and he is also passionate about the growth and development of the party.
“His decision to involve an independent auditor is a welcome one and we believe that the outcome will finally exonerate Julius Abure and also expose the lies being peddled by the suspended Treasurer.
“It is very clear that the sponsored crisis is the handwork of our political opponents that are afraid of the future of the party.
“They are probably nursing fears and are looking for every opportunity to derail the party and to ensure that it is unable to realize its set goals”.
