The labour party faction led by the Senator Nenadi Usman’s caretaker committee has cleared the air on the participation of Peter Obi in meetings aimed at forming a coalition political party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The committee in a terse response to an earlier statement by the national publicity secretary of the Julius Abure’s group of the party, Obiora Ifoh, said Obi’s presence at the coalition meeting was ratified by the caretaker committee.
Ifoh had described Obi’s presence at the meeting as “confusing,” insisting that the presence of the party’s 2023 presidential candidate at the gathering was “without the permission and consent of the Labour Party leadership. This to us is really confusing and we think that Peter Obi has not come to terms with his intentions for the 2027 presidential race.”
Ifoh continued “that Labour Party will not go into any coalition or merger of any sort ahead of the 2027 general election, therefore Obi’s continued association with the coalition is not only distasteful but unacceptable to the party.
“It is also an affront to the party leadership and we view his position as a total disregard to the party’s right to make decisions bidding its affairs.
We are therefore by this statement letting Nigerians know that the presidency for 2027 is open to anyone who wants to run under the platform of the party.”
However, Ken Asogwa, spokesperson of the Nenadi Usman’s caretaker committee countered Ifoh, adding “It is therefore baffling that individuals who have been shown the exit door for their anti-party activities now seek to question a move so clearly rooted in national interest.
One is left wondering whose agenda Julius Abure and his cohorts have truly been advancing.”
Asogwa’s statement reads in part, “The attention of the leadership of the Labour Party has been drawn to reports circulating in some sections of the media suggesting that certain former members of our party, led by the suspended chairman, Barr. Julius Abure, have voiced disapproval over the participation of our 2023 presidential candidate, His Excellency Peter Obi, in the ongoing coalition movement aimed at rescuing Nigeria from the failed APC administration in 2027.
“To be clear, the National Caretaker Committee of the Labour Party, under the able leadership of Distinguished Senator Nenadi Usman, expressly approved and endorsed Peter Obi’s participation in the ongoing patriotic convergence of well-meaning Nigerians committed to dismantling the rudderless Tinubu administration.
“It is worth reiterating that Obi has consistently maintained that his interest lies solely in a coalition focused on eradicating hunger, insecurity, and poor governance – a vision that aligns squarely with the founding principles and aspirations of the Labour Party.”
It further queried the intention of the Abure group in criticizing Obi’s presence at the pre-coalition meeting, wondering “Is it that they disagree with Obi and the Labour Party that Nigeria is presently facing an unprecedented crisis requiring collective action to salvage?
“While the Labour Party wholeheartedly welcomes the coalition movement driven by the Nigerian people, we also reaffirm Peter Obi’s unequivocal right to contest the 2027 elections under the Labour Party platform – should the ongoing coalition efforts fail to materialise.
“In the meantime, it is rather comical that Abure and his band of entertainers continue to peddle the narrative of a purported 2024 national convention which was self-convened, unlawful, and ultimately denounced by the Supreme Court of Nigeria as illegal.
“The repeated reference to this so-called convention is not only misleading but also a flagrant contempt of the Supreme Court’s judgment and should be treated as such by the appropriate legal authorities.
“In view of the foregoing, the general public is hereby advised to disregard any statements emanating from these impostors masquerading as party leaders.
“For authentic and authoritative information regarding the Labour Party, the public is urged to rely solely on communications from the office of the National Caretaker Committee led by Distinguished Senator Nenadi Usman.”
