Labour Party Faction Accuses Emefiele of Funding Peter Obi’s Presidential Campaign

Patrick OdeyJune 13, 2023

3 minutes read

The Lamidi Apapa-led faction of the Labour Party (LP) has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for suspending the controversial Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, over his alleged involvement in politics and economic sabotage.

The faction also slammed the Julius Abure-led faction of the party for condemning Tinubu’s action and backing Emefiele, who they accused of sponsoring the presidential bid of Peter Obi in 2023.

In a statement issued by the spokesman of the faction, Dr Abayomi Arabambi, the party congratulated Tinubu for sustaining June 12 as Democracy Day in honour of the late Chief MKO Abiola, who won the annulled 1993 presidential election.

The party called on Nigerians to support Tinubu’s administration and its reforms, while also criticising it constructively when necessary.

Arabambi said, “We congratulate Nigerians for witnessing the first democracy day under the present administration of President Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. We salute your excellency’s courage and commitment to ensuring that our democracy is strengthened and respected.

Labour Party identifies with various reforms going on in the country, such as the suspension of the CBN governor, the declaration of June 12 as a National Holiday and so many other reforms ongoing.

“Chief MKO ABIOLA’s slogan was Hope 93, and now we have ‘A Renewed Hope 2023’ Even though both were on the platform of Muslim-Muslim tickets but the variation precedent was the zeal and commitment of both MKO and PBAT to a new Nigeria which is not a symptom of religion. We call on the people to continue to support the good intentions of the government, while also condemning rightly when necessary.”

Arabambi stated that Abure’s faction’s decision to condemn Tinubu for suspending Emefiele was a confirmation of the rumours that Emefiele was part of those that funded Obi’s presidential campaign with public funds.

The LP faction stated that Emefiele deserved to be suspended and investigated for abusing his office as CBN governor by running for president and introducing a new Naira redesign policy that caused hardship and inflation in the country.

He said: “Our attention has been drawn to a statement credited to the Peter Obi-Abure-led faction of the Labour Party Spokesperson, Obiorah Ifoh where he irresponsibly claimed that the suspension approved by the president is unconstitutional, vindictive and not in good taste. Peter Obi’s faction out of deliberate falsehood and ignorance even accused the new Chief of Staff to the President Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila of complicity for not speaking up since he is now with the Government.

“We were all living witnesses to the woes inflicted on Nigerians by the suspended CBN Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele, who ran for president under an illegal Labour Party platform sponsored by Peter Obi. He also introduced a new Naira redesign policy that caused inflation and devaluation of our currency. For these reasons, we applaud President Tinubu for suspending him and ordering a probe into his activities.

“It is on records that Peter Obi and Julius Abure criminally appropriated to themselves an illegal labour party campaign fund to the tune of N12b and $15m which they had access to during the inglorious days of the grossly incompetent stints of Emefiele through his deliberate affliction of pain and agony on Nigerians.

“The Obiorah statements are laced with tribalism, egocentrism and nepotism, and what this tells us is that all the rumours that Emefiele was part of those that sponsored Peter Obi’s presidential bid may be true after all. How do we explain that people with sane minds will be supporting somebody that abused his office as CBN governor by running for president and inflicting hardship on Nigeria through his ill-timed new Naira redesign policy? He should be made to face the full wrath of the law if found guilty.”

However, the Apapa-led faction dismissed Ifoh’s claim as baseless and challenged him to prove his legitimacy as the spokesman of the party. It accused him of being a mouthpiece of Peter Obi and Emefiele, who are bent on destroying the Labour Party and its ideology.

The faction said that it is the authentic representative of the party and its members, who are committed to advancing the cause of social democracy and good governance in Nigeria. It said that it will continue to support President Tinubu and his administration in their efforts to transform Nigeria and deliver dividends of democracy to Nigerians.

The faction also urged Nigerians to disregard the statements and actions of the Abure-led faction, which it described as a bunch of impostors and saboteurs. It said that the faction has no legal backing or moral authority to speak on behalf of the party or its members.

The faction said that it has instituted legal actions against the Abure-led faction and its sponsors for impersonating the party and its officials. It said that it is confident that justice will prevail and the impostors will be exposed and punished accordingly.