In response to allegations of defamation by the suspended national treasurer of the Labour Party (LP), Oluchi Oparah, the party’s national chairman, Julius Abure, has announced his intention to take legal action against her.
Speaking in an interview with Arise Television, Abure vehemently denied the accusations made by Oparah, labeling them as baseless and aimed at tarnishing his reputation and destabilizing the party.
“She has come to lie and to misinform members of the party in order to bring us and the party to disrepute,” Abure stated during the interview.
He further emphasized his commitment to seeking justice, stating, “My lawyers are working and by today, those cases of defamation will be filed against Oluchukwu Oparah who came on national television to defame my reputation and bring down my person.”
Abure also provided evidence, including checks co-signed by Oparah, to refute her claims of ignorance regarding the party’s finances. He challenged her to produce evidence supporting her allegations.
Additionally, Abure addressed the issue of party finances, asserting that the claims of over 3.5 billion Naira being collected by the party were false. He clarified that audited reports showed a significantly lower amount, emphasizing the transparency of the party’s financial records under his leadership.
Regarding rumors of his potential gubernatorial candidacy in Edo state, Abure categorically denied any such plans, emphasizing his focus on promoting transparency and internal party democracy within the LP.
“In Edo state for instance, I must say here that I am not interested in the gubernatorial race and I am not going to run,” Abure affirmed.
As tensions within the Labour Party escalate amidst these allegations, Abure’s determination to pursue legal action against Oparah underscores the seriousness with which he intends to address the situation.