ABUJA – A deep schism within the opposition Labour Party (LP) has been laid bare following the defection of its 2023 presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, to the African Democratic Congress (ADC). The Julius Abure-led National Working Committee (NWC) has characterized Obi’s exit as a long-awaited “liberation” for the party, expressing profound regret for presenting him as its flagbearer in the last general election.
In a strongly-worded statement issued on Wednesday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, the leadership asserted that the formal move merely ratified a political separation that had been effective since September 2024. The statement was a scathing response to Obi’s defection rally held earlier in the day in Enugu.
“The party is finally liberated by this defection and as Party leaders, we count it as a blessing,” Ifoh declared. He dismissed the Enugu event as a “charade” poorly attended by key South-East political and traditional stakeholders, populated instead by “political spent forces.”
The LP leadership placed the blame for the party’s internal crises and the South-East’s perceived marginalization in President Bola Tinubu’s administration squarely on Obi’s shoulders.
“He must be told that the South East lost out completely in President Tinubu’s government because they trusted and believed in him in 2023,” the statement read, citing the zone’s ministerial slot allocation as evidence. It further accused Obi and Abia State Governor, Alex Otti—who has been suspended by the Abure faction—of sponsoring moves to unseat the current NWC.
In a remarkable admission, the party apologized to Nigerians for its 2023 choice of candidate. “We plead for forgiveness from Nigerians. We gave Nigerians a candidate we thought was good for the nation in 2023, but time has since proved that we made the greatest political mistake.”
The statement concluded with a promise to present a “better political alternative” in future elections, signaling a intent to rebuild the party’s identity distinct from the Obi political movement.
Disclaimer:
This report is based on a press statement issued by the Julius Abure-led faction of the Labour Party. CDA News Nigeria presents this as a developing political story and does not endorse the views or claims expressed by any party involved.
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