The National Chairman of the Labour Party, Julius Abure, has issued a bold public challenge to Peter Obi and other former presidential aspirants, demanding they present evidence of any money allegedly given to him or the party during the 2023 general elections.
Speaking in a video that Symfoni broadcast on Tuesday, Abure stated that he did not receive financial support from any of the candidates for personal use, including Peter Obi, the party’s 2023 presidential candidate.
He warned that if provoked, he would expose Obi and others in the opposing faction, making them reek like rotten eggs.
Addressing some party members in the Federal Capital Territory, Abure said, “I want to challenge all of them. I was watching television and I saw some of them talking about corruption. Today, I want to challenge all of them—from Peter Obi down that contested the election. Let any of them come out and tell the world what they personally gave to me or to the party.
“It is not to go and hide and be saying there is corruption in the party. Who and who are those that brought the money? Who did they give it to? Where did they send it to? I challenge them today that any of them that has evidence, even if they don’t have evidence, let them be bold and come out and say when and how they gave the money and if they can’t do that, let them forever hold their peace.”
Abure also hinted at convening a world press conference to confront the allegations head-on, stating that he has remained silent for too long out of respect and hope for reconciliation.
“I’m going to call a world press conference and publicly challenge them. As a leader, we have been quiet to say probably they are making mistakes, one day, probably they will come back. When people were talking about agents, and money for agents, I kept quiet, I didn’t say anything because I believe that the bad, the good and the ugly are for me. And therefore, I should not throw away the bad child or the ugly child.
“When I saw that some people were going beyond their boundaries, I came out and released a periphery of what played out. And I am sure that by now, that house is no longer together as it is. I am waiting for them from top to bottom to make any other move and I will open my mouth and when I open my mouth, wherever they go to, they will be like smelly egg, rotten egg that nobody will ever buy.”
Lashing out at Abia State Governor Alex Otti, the party’s sole governor, Abure said, “Look at the governor that is jumping like cricket from one point to another point, we didn’t collect a dime from him. If he paid anybody any dime, let him come and say so. We believed that we wanted to make a difference in politics and so we allowed everyone.
“When I met him at Transcorp, he asked me, ‘Chairman, what do I do for you?’ I said, ‘Nothing. Put your money together and use it for the election.’
“We supported them but today the party has no N1,000 from any of them, not from the governor elected that we have suspended now or from the senators and the House of Reps members, apart from some them.”
Abure’s comments come amid mounting internal conflicts and allegations of corruption within the Labour Party. The party chairman dismissed the claims, insisting that the leadership rejected billions of naira in bribes and resisted political pressures during and after the elections.
“We turned down offers because of the positions they held. But today, they are at the forefront of those trying to throw us out of office,” he said.
The Labour Party, which emerged as a strong third force in the 2023 general elections, has been grappling with internal strife as prominent members raise concerns over transparency and leadership direction.
