The lingering crisis within the Labour Party (LP) has deepened, following renewed clashes between loyalists of the embattled National Chairman, Julius Abure, and a rival faction backing Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, over moves for Peter Obi to possibly pick the African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition’s presidential ticket ahead of the 2027 elections.
The disagreement, which has reopened old wounds in the opposition party, centers on whether the LP should align with the ADC in its bid to unseat President Bola Tinubu in the next general election.
Factional National Publicity Secretary loyal to Obi and Otti, Prince Tony Akeni, said in an interview with The PUNCH that Tinubu’s government could be defeated if the opposition forms a united front. He warned that the president’s preoccupation with “political realignment” rather than governance could become his greatest undoing.
“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 further urged former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to drop his presidential ambition and support Obi if the opposition truly aims 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,” Akeni stated.
Akeni maintained that only a united opposition could defeat the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027, describing Obi as a disciplined reformist capable of replicating Singapore’s transformation under Lee Kuan Yew.
However, the Abure-led faction swiftly rejected any talks of merger or coalition with the ADC, insisting that the Labour Party remains independent and strong enough to win elections on its own.
Factional National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, stated that “the Labour Party has not had any discussion with anybody,” adding that while politics remains dynamic, the LP is confident in its own strength.
“We did that in 2023, and we can do it again. However, there is no automatic ticket for any aspirant,” Ifoh said.
Reacting to the ongoing wave of defections to the APC, Ifoh accused politicians of acting out of “self-preservation, greed, and fear,” insisting that Nigerians—not political defectors—will ultimately decide the next election’s outcome.
“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,” he added.
He also warned that the growing concentration of political power within the APC could endanger Nigeria’s democracy, describing it as a “gravitational pull” that encourages impunity.
As the 2027 presidential race gathers momentum, the Labour Party’s deepening internal divisions have raised fresh doubts about whether the Obidient Movement can remain united—or if it will fracture under the weight of Nigeria’s turbulent party politics.