The Julius Abure-led faction of the Labour Party has issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to formally resign his membership of the opposition coalition platform under the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
In the early hours of Thursday, Obi had formally announced his membership as one of the major figures of the Wednesday-launched party to challenge President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general election.
However, in an official statement by the Labour Party, on Thursday, in Abuja, the Party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, described the coalition as a gathering of “power mongers” and accused Obi of holding dual political loyalties.
According to the spokesperson, the “new Nigeria” mantra mouthed by Obi and his supporters is ‘deceptive and unachievable’ under what he described as “recycled, desperate, and frustrated politicians.
“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 is part of the coalition is given within 48 hours to formally resign his 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 that in the morning, they will claim to be in the Labour Party and in the evening they are in coalition.
“Nearly 70 percent of Nigeria’s 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 realized 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 new Nigeria of our dream can only be realized through Labour Party, and the party is willing to lead Nigerians along that trajectory.
“I therefore urge all members of the party to remain loyal and keep the party structure intact ahead of future elections,” he stated.
