Some chieftains of the Labour Party loyal to the National Chairman of the party, Julius Abure, have raised a motion for the LP presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, to be sanctioned over the role he played in the internal strife of the party.
They warned that Obi might face his worst electoral defeat in the 2027 presidential election if he continued to destabilise and factionalise the party.
They vented their frustration in separate interviews with DECENCY GLOBAL NEWS.
The warning came three days after Abure expressed optimism that the internal crisis rocking the party would be resolved well ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The national chairman declared that he was prepared to reconcile with Obi, Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, and other aggrieved chieftains of the party.
Abure’s comment comes in the wake of last Friday’s judgment of the Court of Appeal recognising him as the National Chairman of the LP.
The court nullified the LP National Caretaker Committee headed by Nenadi Usman, set up by the Obi and Otti’s camp to steer the affairs of the party.
In response to the judgment, the Usman-led panel has headed to the Supreme Court, signalling an elongation of the LP internal strife.
One of the chieftains of the party, Dr Blessing Elaigwu, observed that the LP had stagnated in the past one year due to lack of leadership from Obi and the needless litigation his caretaker committee had brought on the party.
Elaigwu, who is the convener of the Alliance for All Labour Party Professionals and Stakeholders, therefore, warned the leadership of the party to completely severe any ties with the former Anambra State governor if he went ahead to drag the party to the Supreme Court following his Appeal Court victory.
He said, “You will recall that Obi and the current Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti, had in September last year, convened an illegal stakeholders’ meeting in Umuahia to remove the Abure-led executive and handpicked their cronies, including Senator Nenadi Usman and Senator Darlington Nwokocha, as the Chairman and Secretary, respectively.
“But INEC denied them recognition which resulted in them approaching both the lower court and Appeal Court where they lost. If Peter Obi thinks that he wants to destroy the party before moving to other political party as being speculated, he must know that he is destroying himself.
“What exactly has Abure and his executives done to deserve this back-stabbing? Obi was frustrated out of the PDP and Abure offered him a platform in the Labour Party.
“What a good leader would have done, given the momentum of the 2023 election, is to consolidate on the progress made and get ready for 2027.”
Another chieftain, Cornel Max-Nduaguibe, also urged Obi not to kill the momentum of their 2023 general elections exploit.
Max-Nduaguibe, who is also a member of the Obidient Movement, pleaded with the former Anambra State governor to reconsider his position against the party.
He said, “I urge him to use his influence to encourage all party members to put aside their differences and work towards a common goal. We must present a united front to achieve success. To build a stronger party, we must prioritise transparency, accountability and inclusivity.
“This involves fostering open communication among party members, ensuring that all voices are heard, and promoting a culture of respect and tolerance.
“I call on you and all LP members to take immediate action to address our internal conflicts. Let us work together to build a stronger, more united party that can effectively serve the Nigerian people. The time for unity is now.”
When contacted, Obi’s media aide, Umar Ibrahim, to our correspondent that his principal was not prepared to banter words with the Abure’s camp or engage in any form of proxy war.
“His Excellency Peter Obi is not interested in an endless drama or name calling. For that, we don’t respond to Julius Abure’s shenanigans,” he stated.
