The National Working Committee of the Labour Party (LP) has recommended that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the National Security Adviser (NSA) look into allegations of financial misappropriation from the 2023 presidential campaign involving Aisha Yesufu, Pastor Itua Ighodalo, Peter Obi, the party’s nominee for president, and leaders of Afenifere.
Abayomi Arabambi, the party’s national publicity secretary, made the announcement on Wednesday during a news conference in the capital of Ogun State, Abeokuta.
He voiced his concerns regarding recent remarks made by Yesufu in which she defended herself against charges that she was complicit in the purported misappropriation of campaign funds for 2023.
The Labour Party had claimed that Yesufu had mismanaged and diverted nearly N12 billion and $15 million in donations meant for the Labour Party’s campaign, together with Pastor Ighodalo and other accomplices.
In response, Yesufu demanded that Abure explain to Nigerians what he did with the money raised for the “Labour Party N1,000 Challenge” campaign since 2022 in a widely shared video that she uploaded on her official YouTube account on Tuesday.
“That statement Abure made was a big fat lie,” the woman declared. He believes it was similar to the time they carried out their labor unionism in the absence of the internet and record-keeping, when they were able to get away with everything. Regarding certain matters, I am an extremely meticulous and methodical individual.
“There were times when the fundraising team was frustrated with me because of my insistence on due process. Before Mr Obi came out with his campaign account, the Labour Party had theirs. I have with me here a ‘Labour Party N1,000 Challenge’ post that was tweeted on 24/11/22. It said ‘Take ownership of the LP campaign by donating a minimum of N1,000 to Labour Party Zenith Account 1225832294.
“When that account was opened by Abure, I was very angry. I remember some people harmlessly saying it was no big deal since it was for the same Labour Party campaign. But I insisted that it is not the same thing because we don’t have access to any money that went into the LP account and therefore can’t use it to facilitate the electioneering campaign.
“So for Julius Abure to come out in 2024 to blatantly lie that they were not involved in any campaign, saying it was only Aisha Yesufu and Pastor Itua (is unbelievable). By the way, there are three signatories, not two as he said. Up till now, the LP has not accounted for the money the public donated to them nor have they accounted for the money used to procure forms.”
Arabambi criticized Yesufu’s remarks as an affront to the party’s leadership and refuted her denials, calling them attempts to conceal the alleged financial misbehavior.
Additionally, he charged that Yesufu and her allies had defrauded the party by acting on behalf of Obi, a man he referred to as a “political merchant.”
Arabambi accused Pa Ayo Adebanjo, Akin Osuntokun, and Sola Ebiseni—three more Afenifere leaders—of holding more than N600 million in Afenifere-related private accounts.
He said that Obi hired them to steal money from the Labour Party’s presidential campaign and commit fraud.
“The trio of Pa Ayo Adebanjo, Akin Osuntokun, and Sola Ebiseni were involved in financial infractions totaling over ₦600m, which they have kept in private accounts and Afenifere accounts.
Arabambi said that Peter Obi employed Aisha Yesufu, Pastor Itua Ighodalo, and this group of Afenifere to engage in theft, criminal conspiracy, and money-laundering from the Labour Party’s presidential campaign while posing as respected elders.
Dr. Yunisa Tanko, the National Coordinator of the Obedient Movement, called the accusations untrue and unfounded in the meantime.
“The accusations lack merit. The fact is that there is no money missing from the Labour Party’s records; I was present when Aisha Yesufu presented the audited account of the presidential campaign budget, Tanko said.
