Follow Us on Google
Immediate-past National Chairman of the Labour Party, Julius Abure said presidential candidate of Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has squandered the goodwill and political structure that got him a strong showing in the 2023 polls.
This is just as he vowed to work against Obi in the 2027 polls, adding that he could support either President Bola Tinubu or former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
However, he noted that his 2027 stance would depend on the outcome of a pending Supreme Court case involving the leadership of the Labour Party, his political interests and ideology, as well as the candidate’s acceptability.
“As for me, we are waiting for the Supreme Court to decide our case, and if the judgment is not coming before the end of this November, we will rationalise the offer of whoever wants our support.
“However, it must tally with our interest and ideology, and he must be a sellable candidate. Once these are settled, our faces will be everywhere. I am talking about the same faces that took Peter Obi everywhere in 2023,” Abure said when questioned about his preferred candidate.
Abure added, “We are open to working with any of the major candidates, but as former Head of State, Ibrahim Babangida, said, ‘I know whom I will not hand over to. But I don’t know who I will hand over to.’ So, similarly, I am very sure that I wouldn’t support Peter Obi for the 2027 general election. But I am open to an alignment with others.”
Abure reiterated that he would not consider pitching his tent with the NDC because of Obi’s presence.
“Yes, obviously the NDC is not included. I don’t see any reason to support Peter Obi again. I will not. And I am saying this with conviction and without any fear of contradiction. However, as of now, I am not in talks with any candidate yet. This is because it’s not just about me. It’s also about my followers and their interests,” he said.
He accused Obi and Governor Alex Otti of Abia State of doing a “great disservice” to the Labour Party by allegedly fuelling a leadership crisis.
He said Obi is not enjoying with NDC the sort of freedom he had with LP, stressing that the NDC National Leader, Senator Seriake Dickson is maintaining a tight rein on the party.
Abure predicted that Obi would not reach his 2023 performance levels in the 2027 polls.
“Let me say clearly that Obi will not record the successes he recorded in the 2023 general election. That is because he has squandered his goodwill, human capital, resources, and mismanaged all the gains he had in 2023,” he said.
