The Obi-Datti fundraising group has refuted Monday’s declare by the Nationwide Chairman of the Labour Celebration, Julius Abure, that solely Aisha Yesufu and Pastor Itua Ighodalo, had been accountable for managing the marketing campaign funds of LP presidential candidate, Peter Obi, on the 2023 election.
Abure had informed journalists in Abuja after a gathering of the Nationwide Government Council on Monday that there was no iota of reality within the allegation that he embezzled the get together’s marketing campaign donations.
The embattled nationwide chairman emphasised that there was no manner he might have accessed any fund since he was not concerned immediately within the administration of the presidential flag candidate.
He stated, “ The get together and I’ve been accused of being accountable for Peter Obi’s failure within the 2023 common election. They acknowledged that the marketing campaign, election donations and funds for the cost of brokers had been mismanaged by the get together therefore Peter Obi failed within the election.
“The election funding was accomplished by Obi himself. As per the donations, the get together was not concerned. The signatories to those accounts had been Aisha Yesufu and Pastor Itua Ighodalo. They had been equally accountable for the cost of Polling Unit Brokers.
“Consequently, it’s mischievous for any particular person to accuse me and the get together of mismanagement of those funds. At no time did the Celebration or its officers interact in any monetary transactions because it pertains to the presidential marketing campaign.”
Reacting in a viral video posted on her official YouTube account on Tuesday, Yesufu, who doubled because the chairman of the marketing campaign fundraising group, described Abure as a liar.
The activist additionally challenged the nationwide chairman to inform Nigerians what he did with the proceeds of the ‘Labour Celebration N1,000 Problem’ marketing campaign donations he has been elevating since 2022.
He stated, “That assertion Abure made was a giant fats lie. He thinks it was like these days once they used to do their Labour unionism when no one had web or preserve information; these days they obtained away with every little thing. Relating to sure issues, I’m a really detailed and process-driven particular person.
“There have been occasions when the fundraising group was pissed off with me due to my insistence on due course of. Earlier than Mr Obi got here out together with his marketing campaign account, the Labour Celebration had theirs. I’ve with me right here a ‘Labour Celebration N1,000 Problem’ put up that was tweeted on 24/11/22. It stated ‘Take possession of the LP marketing campaign by donating a minimal of N1,000 to Labour Celebration Zenith Account 1225832294.
“When that account was opened by Abure, I used to be very indignant. I bear in mind some individuals harmlessly saying it was no massive deal because it was for a similar Labour Celebration marketing campaign. However I insisted that it isn’t the identical factor as a result of we don’t have entry to any cash that went into the LP account and subsequently can’t use it to facilitate the electioneering marketing campaign.
“So for Julius Abure to come back out in 2024 to blatantly lie that they weren’t concerned in any marketing campaign, saying it was solely Aisha Yesufu and Pastor Itua (is unbelievable). By the way in which, there are three signatories, not two as he stated. Up until now, the LP has not accounted for the cash the general public donated to them neither have they accounted for the cash used to obtain kinds.”
The allegation and counter-allegation come six months after Yesufu introduced that the fundraising group obtained donations totalling N596m from get together supporters, Obidient actions and well-meaning Nigerians throughout the globe.
She added that Obi additionally spent N744,500,000 on litigation following his loss within the 2023 presidential election.