Labour Party activist and prominent figure, Aisha Yesufu, has strongly denied allegations of mismanaging campaign funds during the 2023 presidential election, accusations levelled against her by Labour Party (LP) National Chairman, Julius Abure.
In a video released on her official YouTube channel on Tuesday, Yesufu addressed the claims head-on, labeling Abure’s assertions as false.
Abure, speaking during the party’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting on Monday, had accused Yesufu and Pastor Itua Ighodalo of handling the funds for LP’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi. He stated that he had no access to the funds, attributing the mismanagement of campaign finances to those responsible for managing them.
“The party and I have been wrongly accused of causing Peter Obi’s defeat in the 2023 general election due to the mismanagement of election donations and funds meant for polling unit agents,” Abure said. “The campaign funds were managed by Obi himself, while the donations were handled by Aisha Yesufu and Pastor Itua Ighodalo, who were signatories to the accounts.”
Abure emphasized that at no time did the party or its officials engage in any financial transactions related to the presidential campaign, distancing himself from the allegations.
In response, Yesufu condemned Abure’s claims, calling him a “big fat liar” and challenging him to explain the Labour Party’s own fundraising efforts, particularly the ‘Labour Party N1,000 Challenge,’ which she said has not been properly accounted for.
“Yesufu described Abure’s statement as a fabrication and noted that she had raised concerns about the party’s fundraising practices from the start. According to her, the party opened a separate account for the campaign fund, without transparency. ‘For him to say the party wasn’t involved in any campaign finances is unbelievable,’ she remarked.”
Yesufu also highlighted that the fundraising team received ₦596 million in donations from supporters, both locally and internationally, and noted that Obi himself spent ₦744.5 million on legal battles following the election results. Despite the party’s internal disputes, Yesufu maintained that she adhered to due process throughout her involvement.
The disagreement comes as tensions within the Labour Party continue to rise, with questions surrounding transparency and financial accountability.
