The leadership of the two factions of the Labour Party (LP) have disagreed over the involvement of Mr. Peter Obi in the mega coalition ahead of the 2027 general election.
Mr. Obi had said the decision to join the African Democratic Congress (ADC), the party chosen by the opposition coalition, was not taken lightly.
He was present at the unveiling of the coalition in Abuja on Wednesday.
The Julius Abure-led faction of LP has issued a 48-hour ultimatum to Obi, the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, to resign from the party following his involvement in a new opposition coalition.
In a statement yesterday, Obiora Ifoh, LP spokesperson, reiterated the party’s rejection of the newly formed coalition, describing it as a gathering of “recycled, desperate and frustrated politicians”.
“Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Gregory Obi has received a 48 hour ultimatum to formally resign his membership of the Labour Party having formally joined the coalition party,” the statement read.
Ifoh alleged that Obi had been holding secret meetings with some of its members to woo them into joining the coalition.
“We are aware of several nocturnal meetings between Peter Obi and some of our members, lobbying them to join him in his new party. We’re also aware that a number of them have refused to defect with him.
“Labour Party has consistently said it is not part of the coalition, and therefore, any of our members who are part of the coalition are given 48 hours to formally resign their membership of the party.
“Labour Party is not available for people with dual agenda, people with deceptive persona. The party will not avail itself to individuals who have one leg in one party and another leg elsewhere.
“People who, in the morning, claim to be in the Labour Party and in the evening are in the coalition.
“Nearly 70 percent of the Nigerian population are youths who are tired of the old order, tired of gerontocrats deciding their fate. The new Nigeria that the youths are dreaming of is not what can be realised from what we are seeing in the coalition.”
“These people are opportunistic politicians who are only interested in relaunching themselves into the circle of power — people who are desperate to continue holding on to power.”
The spokesperson added that the LP remains committed to Nigeria’s renewal, urging members to stay loyal and maintain the party’s structure.
However, the Nenadi Usman-led faction of the party has said it was strongly behind Obi in the coalition negotiations.
The party in a statement signed by Ken Eluma Asogwa, senior special assistant to Sen. Nenadi, has said the leadership of the oarty, on May 26, 2025, publicly declared its full support for Mr. Obi’s involvement in the coalition efforts aimed at creating a robust political alternative to rescue Nigeria from the disastrous misrule of the APC.
That position has not changed.
“We wish to reaffirm that Mr. Peter Obi’s participation in the coalition activities, including the ADC unveiling, was done with the full knowledge, approval, and support of the Labour Party leadership.
“The individuals claiming to have issued an ultimatum to Mr. Obi are political jesters with no legitimate standing in the Labour Party. They are neither recognised by the party nor by the law, having long been sacked by the Supreme Court of Nigeria the highest court in the land and suspended from the party for their serial acts of indiscipline and anti-party activities.
“It is the remnants of the disorder and mess left behind by these impostors that the current leadership under Senator Nenadi Usman continues to clean. Therefore, members of the public, and especially the media, are urged to disregard the distractions and mischief from these discredited elements.
“For clarity, the only legitimate and authoritative source of information regarding the official position of the Labour Party on any matter remains the office of Senator Nenadi Usman, Acting National Chairman of the Labour Party,” it stated.
Meanwhile, Obi has pledged that the ADC coalition will offer Nigerians compassionate and competent leadership ahead of the 2027 elections.
In a post on his X handle on Thursday, he said the coalition’s commitment is to sacrifice and work together for the good of Nigeria. He noted that this can be achieved by ensuring the coalition emerges victorious at the 2027 general elections.
“Yesterday, the coalition members formally adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the 2027 Nigeria General Elections with Distinguished Senator David Mark serving as the National Chairman and H.E. Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola serving as the National Secretary.
“Our commitment is to sacrifice and work together towards the 2027 General Elections, ensuring that Nigeria gets a competent, capable, and compassionate leadership that will prioritise the nation’s future by putting the welfare of Nigerians first,” Obi said.
Noting that the decision to be a part of the coalition was not taken lightly, Obi said his action and that of some of the coalition members stemmed from deep reflections on solutions to Nigeria’s challenges.
“This decision was not made lightly. It comes from deep reflection on where we are as a country and what must be done to move forward.
“No one group can change Nigeria alone. To dismantle the structures that keep our people in poverty and insecurity, we must build bridges, not walls even when those bridges are uneasy,” Obi added.