Tensions escalated within Nigeria’s Labour Party on Thursday as the Julius Abure-led faction issued a 48-hour ultimatum to its 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, demanding he formally resign his membership. The call comes in the wake of Obi’s unveiling as a key member of a new opposition coalition spearheaded by the African Democratic Congress (ADC), designed to challenge President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general election.
In a strongly worded statement released in Abuja, Labour Party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, criticized the coalition as a gathering of “power mongers” and accused Obi of attempting to straddle dual political loyalties. “We are aware of several nocturnal meetings between Peter Obi and some of our members, lobbying them to join him in his new party,” Ifoh alleged, warning that such actions undermine the unity and direction of the Labour Party.
The LP leadership emphasized that it is not part of the newly formed coalition, and it will not condone “dual agendas” or members with “deceptive personas.” Ifoh further dismissed Obi’s popular “new Nigeria” slogan, claiming it had become a hollow mantra under a banner of “recycled, desperate, and frustrated politicians.” He urged loyal party members to stay committed to the Abure-led leadership, which he described as the only authentic vehicle for true youth-driven political change.
The coalition, unveiled on Wednesday, brings together prominent political figures including Atiku Abubakar, Nasir El-Rufai, Rauf Aregbesola, and former Senate President David Mark—who now serves as interim chairman—with Aregbesola as secretary. As the 2027 elections approach, political observers see this alliance as a potential third force, but its formation has clearly deepened fractures within Nigeria’s opposition landscape.
