Labour Party treasurer Oluchi Oparah has doubled down on her allegation of financial misappropriation against the chairman Julius Abure.

Oparah initially accused Abure of abuse of office, alleging that the party boss misappropriated party funds.

But on Tuesday, while speaking on Arise TV, she accused Abure of forging the signature of his predecessor who died in December 2020 to withdraw funds in February 2021.

The treasurer said she had written letters to the party authorities about Abure’s alleged financial misappropriation but was told the details of party funds were confidential.

“The late chairman AA Salam died on December 29th 2020. Hence, February after his death, I am still wondering how he came from the dead to sign a cheque when Abure was still secretary of the party to claim monies that were paid in batches from 28th of February to 7th of March,” Oparah said. “How did he get the signature to withdraw monies from these accounts?”

She urged investigators to go verify her claims at a bank branch in Abuja where the account is domiciled.

Labour Party late Monday denied the Oparah’s initial corruption allegation Abure.

Oparah claimed that Abure misappropriated N3.5 billion raised from sales of forms and fundraising before the 2023 elections.

At a press conference in Abuja on Monday, Oparah accused Abure of “egregious financial mismanagement and corruption that have plagued” the party under his leadership.

She said the internal mechanisms in the party failed to hold Abure accountable for alleged abuse of office and misappropriation of party funds.

“His appetite for power has grown unchecked, and he has deliberately undermined my duties and authority as stipulated in the party’s constitution,” Oparah said.

Labour Party spokesman Obiora Ifoh in a statement refuted her claims and stated that the Labour Party engaged an external auditor and the party’s account has been under constant scrutiny of INEC and other regulatory bodies.

“Let it be said that the Labour Party has not earned N3.5 billion as claimed and that the national chairman has not embezzled any money that belongs to the party as alleged,” Ifoh said.

“The records are there, except that Ms Oluchi Opara don’t even understand simple accounting even as a treasurer.”

Ifoh said Oparah was “under some external influences” of “detractors to further tar the image of the party”.

He said even though the law does not prohibit Abure from owning properties, the claims by Oparah were far from the truth. He accused the treasurer of blackmailing the leadership of the party for financial gains.

“Her wish to cash out was not granted and her subtile effort to push the leadership to ‘settle’ her was rejected hence her resolve to fight dirty,” Ifoh said.

Oparah while refuting the allegation, claimed that it was Abure who tried to induce her with a car gift and a house when he visited her home but she refused the offer.

She said Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the party in the 2023 election “had tried to intervene” during several meetings but Abure “doesn’t listen to anybody”.

“I want to bring change. Let me be that woman that will stand for the right thing to be done,” Oparah said.

Abure is yet to speak on the allegations at the time of filing this report.