Obi, Aisha Yesufu, Ituah were in charge of campaign funds, we followed them sheepishly – Abure

Former Labour Party National Chairman, Julius Abure, has responded to allegations of financial mismanagement related to the 2023 general election campaign funds.

The accusations were brought forward during a meeting of Labour Party stakeholders in Umuahia, Abia State, where a 29-member Caretaker Committee was appointed to address the party’s leadership crisis.

The Committee, led by former Minister of Finance, Senator Nenadi Usman, is tasked with stabilizing the party and organizing a convention to elect new leaders from the ward to the national level.

However, Abure who was seen in a video where he addressed the allegations of mismanagement of the campaign funds, described those who are accusing him as being “mischievous” adding that the party had at no time participated in the management of the donations and campaign funds.

He said, “The party was never involved in the distribution of those resources.

Our interest was to see how we can produce a president for the party, however, it was done, we didn’t bother ourselves about it; hence, we gave them free hands.

Whoever they trusted, whoever they wanted to entrust their resources to, we didn’t want to bother ourselves with it.

“We followed them sheepishly, we followed them loyally and allowed them to administer the funds of the campaign of the election and so on and so forth.

As for the donation the party was not involved in the collection of any donation – campaign donations.

“Donations to the campaign were channelled to the following accounts Obi/Datti Ahmed Campaign accounts – Zenith Bank – 124 195 0451; Sterling Bank- 0091 657 896; Heritage Bank – 14 0023 4900; Globus Bank 1000128 194. The signatories to these accounts were Aisha Yesufu and Pastor Ituah Ighodalo.

“They were equally responsible for the payment of the polling unit agents.

The party did not even bother to pay its agents. We handed over the lists to the Campaign Council and to those who were administering these funds to pay polling unit agents that worked for the presidential election.

“Consequently, it is mischievous for any person to accuse me and the party for mismanaging of these funds.

At no time did the party engage in any financial transaction as relates to the election.”