Tensions within the Labour Party have deepened as fresh disagreements emerge between the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and the current leadership over the direction of the party in the build-up to the 2027 general elections.
On Tuesday, the party’s National Secretary, Umar Farouk, accused Obi of engaging in what he described as a consistent media smear campaign targeting the National Chairman, Julius Abure, and other senior party figures.
This development follows Obi’s recent appearance on Arise Television, where he claimed that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) had infiltrated the Labour Party to cause internal disarray—an allegation the party leadership swiftly dismissed as baseless.
Farouk challenged Obi to present any concrete evidence to support his claims, suggesting instead that Obi was deflecting blame for internal unrest.
“It’s unfortunate that Mr. Obi continues to mislead the public about the root of our internal challenges,” Farouk stated.
“Like other political organisations, we face internal disagreements, but pointing fingers without proof does not help.”
Farouk went further to place responsibility for the current divisions within the party on both Obi and Abia State Governor Alex Otti, who he said had been previously suspended for alleged anti-party conduct.
“The APC has no hand in what is happening in the Labour Party. Mr. Obi needs to accept that he failed in offering effective leadership and should stop shifting blame,” he added.
Interestingly, Farouk noted that despite Obi’s criticisms, the former presidential candidate still referred to Julius Abure as the national chairman during the interview—an acknowledgment the party views as validating Abure’s leadership.
“To us, the matter is clear. Julius Abure remains the party’s national chairman. That is not in contention,” Farouk said.
He called on Obi and other discontented members to accept this reality and work towards rebuilding the party’s unity.
Meanwhile, Peter Obi has continued to advocate for transformative political change. At the launch of a book titled “Obi: The Political Change Agent” authored by journalist Ike Abonyi, he described the 2027 elections as a critical opportunity to redirect the nation’s future.
Obi likened Nigeria’s condition to a sinking ship and stressed the need to elect leaders who are empathetic, principled, and committed to national development.
“We must ensure that only the right people get into the National Assembly, the House of Representatives—people who are focused on nation-building, not personal gain,” Obi said.
He expressed frustration over a political class he accused of being detached from the realities of everyday Nigerians and urged citizens to become more involved in the electoral process to ensure genuine representation.
“This time, we’ll be present in every corner. Every vote will be cast and counted. No one will be left behind,” he declared, issuing a warning to lawmakers with questionable records.
Obi also lamented the worsening insecurity across the country, comparing Nigeria’s situation to that of a country at war.
“We may not be officially at war, but when Nigerians are living in IDP camps in their own homeland and others have fled to Chad and Cameroon, how can we pretend everything is normal?” he asked.
According to Obi, the prevailing crisis is a result of leadership that has failed to prioritize the welfare of its citizens.