The faction of the Labour Party (LP) led by Julius Abure has accused former presidential candidate Peter Obi of instigating the ongoing leadership crisis within the party.
Umar Ibrahim, the national secretary aligned with Abure, issued the accusation in a statement on Tuesday in response to Obi’s recent claims that the All Progressives Congress (APC) had infiltrated the party and triggered internal unrest.
In his remarks, Ibrahim dismissed Obi’s assertion as misleading, stating that the crisis within the Labour Party was not externally manufactured but rather the result of internal mismanagement led by Obi himself and Abia State Governor Alex Otti.
“It is therefore pertinent to put on record that the problem with the Labour Party was not created by the ruling party (APC), rather the problem in the Labour Party was created and sustained by Peter Obi and Dr. Alex Otti, the governor of Abia State, who is presently serving suspension for anti-party activities,” Ibrahim stated.
He further challenged Obi to present any evidence, tangible or otherwise, that supports the claim that the Abure-led leadership was collaborating with the APC-led federal government.
“When good leaders fail, they should own up to their responsibilities. Obi failed to provide leadership for the party. He should own up to his mistakes,” the statement said.
The faction also criticized what it described as an attempt by Obi and Otti to “demarket” the Labour Party by continually alleging external interference.
“We are therefore calling on Peter Obi and other aggrieved members of the party to understand and digest the fact that Barrister Julius Abure’s leadership has come to stay and nothing can change that,” Ibrahim declared.
He added that it was contradictory to suggest that Abure’s leadership, which allegedly worked for Obi’s success in the 2023 general elections, would now align with the same ruling party it had opposed.
