Aisha Yesufu reacts to allegations mismanaging Labour Party campaign funds

Aisha Yesufu, social critic and co-founder of the #BringBackOurGirls movement, has responded robustly to recent allegations made by Julius Abure, the embattled national chairman of the Labour Party (LP).

Abure claimed during a press briefing on Monday that Yesufu and Pastor Itua Ighodalo, the brother of Edo State PDP governorship candidate Asue Ighodalo, were responsible for managing and allegedly misappropriating the party’s campaign funds for the 2023 general election.

Abure, speaking after the Labour Party’s National Executive Committee meeting in Abuja, denied accusations of mismanaging the party’s funds.

He alleged that Yesufu and Ighodalo were the sole signatories to the accounts where campaign donations were deposited, totaling approximately N3.5 billion.

According to Abure, the party had no involvement in handling or distributing these funds, which were purportedly managed exclusively by Yesufu and Ighodalo.

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“The party was never involved in the distribution of those resources,” Abure stated. “We allowed them to administer the campaign funds and handle payments to polling unit agents.”

In response, Yesufu took to social media to counter the claims. In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, Yesufu labeled Abure’s allegations as false, accusing him of living in a bygone era where unverified claims could be made without scrutiny.

“Julius Abure thinks we are still in 1980 where one can lie shamelessly without being fact-checked,” she wrote.

Yesufu also referenced a 2022 post by Abure on X, where he had encouraged supporters to contribute to the party’s campaign by donating a minimum of N1,000 to the Labour Party account. She further addressed the issue in a YouTube video titled “Aisha Yesufu Responds to Julius Abure’s Lies,” where she reiterated her denial of any involvement in misappropriating the party’s funds.

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The exchange highlights ongoing tensions within the Labour Party, with Yesufu and Abure’s conflicting statements drawing attention to issues of accountability and transparency within the party’s campaign operations.