The National Working Committee of one of the leading opposition parties, Labour Party has placed a six-month suspension on its National Treasurer, Oluchi Opara.
This development was announced at a press conference on Wednesday 14th February, at the party secretariat in Abuja.
Recall that Opara had, on Monday 12 February, knocked on the Party’s National Chairman, Julius Abure, at a press conference to account for an alleged N3.5 billion raised from the sale of nomination forms and fundraising activities preparatory to the 2023 general election.
In an interview on Arise TV’s ‘Good Morning Show’ on Tuesday, Opara again alleged that the Abure-led NWC is working hand-in-hand with the PDP-led government in Edo State.
In a swift reaction to her claims on Wednesday, the National Publicity Secretary of LP, Obiora Ifoh, described Opara as a mole who was being used by dissidents in the party. Ifoh told newsmen that the decision to sanction her was taken after her failure to honor an invitation by the party’s NWC to resolve the conflict.
“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”.
Ifoh stated that the party sees the action of the National Treasurer as an affront to the party’s leadership and millions of its members who cannot afford to watch the image of a party they have labored hard to build being tarnished by an ingrate.
He added that the disciplinary committee has 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.
Meanwhile, as of press time, efforts aimed at reaching Opara to respond to her suspension proved abortive as her line was not connecting.
