Labour Party asks EFCC, NSA to investigate Peter Obi, Aisha Yesufu, Afenifere over campaign funds

The Labour Party’s (LP) National Working Committee has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the National Security Adviser (NSA) to launch an investigation into the alleged misappropriation of funds from the 2023 presidential campaign.

The party specifically urged a probe into the roles of its 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, activist Aisha Yesufu, Pastor Itua Ighodalo, and leaders of Afenifere, a Yoruba socio-political group.

Abayomi Arabambi, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, made this appeal during a press conference held on Wednesday in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

He expressed concerns over recent allegations that significant campaign donations were mismanaged and diverted, totaling over ₦12 billion and $15 million.

The Labour Party had earlier accused Yesufu, Ighodalo, and other associates of mismanaging campaign funds meant for the party’s 2023 presidential bid.

Yesufu, in response, took to her official YouTube account to dismiss the accusations, directly challenging the LP leadership, particularly its National Chairman, Julius Abure, to explain what happened to funds raised under the ‘Labour Party N1,000 Challenge.’

In her viral video, Yesufu stated, “Abure’s claims are nothing but a big fat lie. He’s trying to deceive people like in the old days when leaders could get away with anything. But now, we keep records, and the internet doesn’t forget. I am meticulous and process-driven, and I can confirm that everything I handled was transparent.”

Yesufu also highlighted that the Labour Party had opened an account for donations before Obi’s official campaign account was set up, further expressing frustration that money raised through that account was not used to support the presidential campaign.

Arabambi, however, dismissed Yesufu’s response as an attempt to cover up financial misconduct.

He accused her, along with Ighodalo and leaders of Afenifere—Pa Ayo Adebanjo, Akin Osuntokun, and Sola Ebiseni—of collaborating with Obi to defraud the party. He claimed they siphoned campaign funds into personal and Afenifere-linked accounts.

“The trio of Pa Ayo Adebanjo, Akin Osuntokun, and Sola Ebiseni were involved in financial misdeeds, hoarding over ₦600 million in private and Afenifere accounts,” Arabambi alleged.

“Peter Obi hired these individuals, along with Aisha Yesufu and Pastor Ighodalo, to loot and divert funds meant for the Labour Party’s presidential campaign under the guise of political elder statesmanship.”

Meanwhile, Dr. Yunusa Tanko, National Coordinator of the Obedient Movement, dismissed the accusations as baseless.

He stated, “These allegations are false. I was there when Aisha Yesufu presented the audited accounts of the campaign fund, and no money is missing from Labour Party accounts.”