Obi, Yesufu Defend Party Chairman Amid Police Investigation for Attempted Murder, Fund Diversion

Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, and prominent party campaigner Aisha Yesufu have criticized the arrest of embattled National Chairman Julius Abure. Abure faces allegations of sponsoring attacks on opposing faction members and mismanagement of campaign funds.

Abure was arrested following a petition by the Apapa-led faction, accusing him of sponsoring an attack during party congresses in Edo State. Additionally, ongoing investigations focus on allegations of embezzlement of campaign donations.

Obi condemned the arrest as ‘distasteful and deplorable,’ citing Abure’s position as an opposition party chairman. Yesufu also criticized the arrest on Twitter, questioning its timing before a full investigation.

However, Obi and Yesufu’s defense faced public criticism, with some questioning their motives and alleged complicity in the fund mismanagement and factional disputes.

The controversy over fund embezzlement has escalated since the campaign’s end, with demands for spending transparency largely ignored. Yesufu, who spearheaded a donation campaign, faced scrutiny over expenditure details.

Abure has been released on bail by the police, but internal party tensions persist.