ABAKALIKI — A faction of the apex Igbo socio-cultural group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has urged Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, to shelve his 2027 ambition in favour of President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid. The appeal was made in the name of equity, national unity, and political stability.
In a statement issued in Abakaliki, the Deputy National President of the Ohanaeze faction, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, advised Obi to reconsider his presidential pursuit, warning that wresting power from an incumbent would be an uphill task. He argued that the South-East alone cannot secure Obi’s path to the presidency and cautioned against repeating what he termed past political miscalculations.
“The political atmosphere is tense. There is no unity among opposition leaders, and Atiku Abubakar, at 81, is still nurturing his presidential ambition. That alone threatens any cohesive opposition front,” Isiguzoro said.
He warned that any split in opposition votes between Obi and Atiku would ultimately smooth the path for Tinubu’s re-election. According to him, the consequences of such an outcome would be borne by the South-East region.
While acknowledging Obi’s constitutional right to contest, Isiguzoro expressed fears that betrayal from political allies could repeat the disappointments of 2019 and 2023. He recalled that in 2019, Obi’s vice-presidential run alongside Atiku cost the South-East a promised sixth state from then-President Muhammadu Buhari, due to the zone’s lack of unified support.
Meanwhile, tensions continue to escalate within the Labour Party, as rival factions clash over the interpretation of the Supreme Court’s April 4 ruling and the leadership status of Julius Abure.
The party’s 2023 vice-presidential candidate, Dr Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, clarified that Abure remains the party’s National Chairman, following INEC’s continued recognition of his leadership after the court ruling.
In an appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, Datti confirmed that legal interpretations had been made in favour of the Usman-led faction, but INEC’s subsequent actions cemented Abure’s position.
Datti, who also attended the Abure-led National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on Monday in Abuja, revealed his intention to run for president in 2027. However, he welcomed Obi to once again seek the party’s presidential ticket, noting that he could do so with or without him as a running mate.
“I have enormous respect for Peter Obi,” Datti said. “He is welcome to run again, and the party is open to adopting a southern candidate.”
Meanwhile, Senator Nenadi Usman’s faction has dismissed reports of plans to expel Obi, labelling such claims as misinformation by political impostors. Her media aide, Ken Eluma Asogwa, described the allegations as “laughable and desperate,” affirming that Obi’s coalition-building efforts were fully supported by the party’s legitimate leadership.
However, Abure’s camp fired back, accusing Usman of misinterpreting the court’s decision. National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, argued that the ruling reaffirmed the judiciary’s lack of authority over internal party affairs and did not validate any rival leadership claims.
“The party has moved past legal distractions. We’re now focused on 2027, and serious aspirants are engaging us already,” Ifoh said.
