Tensions between former presidential candidate Peter Obi and the Labour Party (LP) leadership have reached a new high, with the party accusing him of media blackmail and failing in leadership, as both sides trade blame ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The clash follows Obi’s recent interview on Arise Television, where he claimed the All Progressives Congress (APC) had infiltrated the Labour Party with the aim of destabilising its internal structure. The LP leadership, however, has fired back, calling Obi’s claims baseless and a deflection from his own failure to provide direction.
Speaking on Tuesday, Labour Party’s National Secretary, Umar Farouk, dismissed the allegations and described them as part of a calculated campaign of misinformation and manipulation against the party’s National Chairman, Julius Abure, and the national leadership.
“Our attention was called to an interview granted by Obi wherein he alleged that the APC-led Federal Government has infiltrated the leadership of the Labour Party and is fomenting crisis in the party. But when asked to produce evidence, Obi had nothing tangible to offer,” Farouk stated.
He accused Obi of deliberately misleading Nigerians about the root causes of the party’s internal problems and claimed the LP is no different from any other party dealing with internal disagreements.
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“Unfortunately, Mr Obi continues to misinform Nigerians on the root of the internal crisis within the Labour Party, even though he knows that most political parties face one form of crisis or another,” he said.
Farouk did not stop there. He also pointed fingers at Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti, saying both Obi and Otti had fueled discord within the party and had yet to accept accountability for their actions. He added that Otti remains suspended from the party over alleged anti-party activities.
“Nobody is infallible. When good leaders fail, they should take responsibility. Obi failed in providing leadership for the party and should own up to that failure instead of shifting blame,” Farouk charged.
The Labour Party also highlighted what it called Obi’s contradictory stance during the Arise TV interview, noting that despite his criticisms, Obi recognized Julius Abure as the party’s national chairman, which Farouk interpreted as an implicit acknowledgment of the legitimacy of the current leadership.
“As far as we are concerned, the issue is settled. Julius Abure remains the national chairman of the Labour Party. That fact is not in dispute. We urge Peter Obi and other aggrieved members to come to terms with this and work toward the unity of the party,” he concluded.
The escalating feud casts a shadow over the Labour Party’s readiness for the 2027 elections, with fears that unresolved internal tensions could weaken the party’s cohesion and credibility in the eyes of its supporters.
For now, Peter Obi has yet to respond officially to the latest accusations, but political observers warn that if the rift deepens, the party may struggle to replicate the momentum it achieved in the 2023 elections.
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