Labour Party Crisis: Abure Faction Rules Out Sanction for Peter Obi

Peter Obi’s media aide refuted claims that he was being mislead, insisting that Obi’s priority is to unite the Labour Party.

Abuja, Nigeria – The Julius Abure-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the Labour Party has stated that it will not impose any punitive measures on its former 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, despite accusations that he is being misled into supporting an “illegal” caretaker committee.

This was revealed by the party’s National Legal Adviser, Kehinde Edun, during an interview with The PUNCH. According to Edun, sanctioning Obi would not help resolve the ongoing disagreement within the party.

“Obi is being misled. It is human to err, and we respect him as our leader,” Edun said. “We understand the pressure he’s under, but we are optimistic that he will eventually realize the truth and retrace his steps. We won’t crucify him for this temporary confusion, and we believe our leaders will soon recognize their mistakes.”

However, Peter Obi’s media aide, Umar Ibrahim, refuted claims that Obi was being misled. He insisted that Obi’s priority is to unite the party, and any accusations of betrayal are unfounded.

“His Excellency Peter Obi is not interested in unending conflicts. He wants to build a united party. As long as there is respect for him, the party should follow its laid-down rules and constitution to chart a way forward,” Ibrahim explained.

The internal rift within the Labour Party became more pronounced last week when the Abure-led NWC accused both Obi and Governor Alex Otti of Abia State of betrayal. The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, expressed disappointment during a press conference in Abuja, alleging that Obi and Otti had abandoned Abure, who supported them during the 2023 elections.

Ifoh criticized the two leaders for siding with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) instead of supporting the party during its current crisis.