The internal crisis in the Labour Party has worsened as loyalists of National Chairman Julius Abure and Abia State Governor Alex Otti clash over claims that former presidential candidate Peter Obi may seek the African Democratic Congress ticket ahead of the 2027 election.
The renewed confrontation highlights the widening rift in the opposition party as both camps trade words on whether to form an alliance to challenge President Bola Tinubu in the next general election.
Factional National Publicity Secretary loyal to Obi and Otti, Prince Tony Akeni, told The PUNCH in an exclusive interview that Tinubu’s administration could be defeated at the polls.
“What should be conveyed to Tinubu and his brinksmen is sympathy. Let him know that we of the Labour Party sympathise with him because he is carrying, with this decamping domino, a nest of soldier ants,” Akeni said.
He also urged former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to shelve his presidential ambition and rally behind Obi if the opposition truly intends to rescue Nigeria from “the agony of misrule.”
“If Atiku can go deep inside his soul and demonstrate that he truly loves this country by standing up to support Obi for the presidency, he can then choose anybody of his choice, even if it is his lastborn, as the vice presidential candidate,” he stated.
Akeni added that only a united opposition could defeat the ruling All Progressives Congress in 2027, describing Obi as a disciplined reformist capable of transforming Nigeria like Singapore under Lee Kuan Yew.
But the Abure-led faction swiftly rejected any talk of merger or coalition with the ADC, insisting that the Labour Party remains strong and capable of contesting future elections without external backing.
Factional National Publicity Secretary Obiora Ifoh told The PUNCH that the party “has not had any discussion with anybody,” stressing that “politics is dynamic, but today, the Labour Party is solely standing on its own because we believe that any candidate we field can win the election in 2027.”
“We did that in 2023, and we can do it again. However, there is no automatic ticket for any aspirant,” he said.
Reacting to the wave of defections to the APC, Ifoh accused some politicians of acting out of “self preservation, greed and fear,” adding that ordinary Nigerians, not defectors, would ultimately decide the outcome of the 2027 elections.
“Some are defecting because they want to win their re election. Some because they want to stay clear of prosecution when they leave office. But Nigerians will decide who will be president, governor or senator in 2027, not these individuals,” he added.
He further warned that the growing dominance of the APC could threaten Nigeria’s democracy, describing it as a “gravitational pull” that encourages impunity.