The Obi-Datti fundraising team has strongly refuted the claim made by Julius Abure, the National Chairman of the Labour Party, that only Aisha Yesufu and Pastor Itua Ighodalo were responsible for managing the campaign funds for LP presidential candidate Peter Obi during the 2023 election.
In a statement released on Monday, Abure denied accusations of embezzling campaign donations, insisting that he was not involved in the management of the presidential campaign’s finances. He asserted that the allegations of mismanagement, which suggested that the Labour Party mishandled funds for the campaign and payment of agents, were unfounded. According to Abure, the election funding and campaign donations were handled directly by Peter Obi, with Yesufu and Ighodalo as the primary signatories and managers of the funds.
Responding in a viral video posted to her official YouTube account on Tuesday, Aisha Yesufu, who led the campaign’s fundraising efforts, vehemently rejected Abure’s claims. Yesufu accused Abure of deceit, asserting that his statements were false and misleading. She challenged Abure to account for the funds raised through the ‘Labour Party N1,000 Challenge,’ a campaign initiated by the party since 2022.
Yesufu detailed her frustration with Abure’s management, noting that she had always insisted on rigorous financial oversight. She highlighted discrepancies between the party’s accounts and the campaign’s finances, pointing out that her team had no access to the funds in the Labour Party’s account, which were supposed to be distinct from the campaign’s resources.
“Yesufu’s response underscores a broader dispute over the handling of campaign funds, with allegations of financial mismanagement and lack of transparency continuing to swirl. She also revealed that the fundraising team received a total of N596 million from supporters and the Obidient movement, while Peter Obi reportedly spent N744.5 million on legal expenses following his electoral defeat.
The exchange of accusations between Yesufu and Abure reflects ongoing tensions within the Labour Party as they grapple with the fallout from the 2023 election and seek clarity on the management of campaign finances.
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