The Labour Party has announced plans to expel its former presidential candidate, Peter Obi, over his alleged involvement in a new opposition coalition seeking to unseat President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general elections.
Speaking during a live appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Tuesday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Abayomi Arabambi, accused Obi of violating the party’s constitution by aligning with a political coalition while still identifying as a Labour Party member.
“Let me make it very clear: we are convening a NEC [National Executive Council] meeting where he [Obi] will be expelled. It is unconstitutional for you to belong to two political parties at a time. They have deceived him to their side, and there he shall remain,” Arabambi said.
Arabambi described the opposition alliance as a “yahoo yahoo coalition,” adding that the NEC would recommend Obi’s expulsion for ratification at the party’s convention.
“He is no longer a member. It is not within his right to claim, ‘I am still a member of the Labour Party,’ and at the same time be hobnobbing with what we call the ‘yahoo yahoo’ coalition. We are not going to accept that,” he said.
In a sharp rebuke, Arabambi rejected the narrative that Obi was instrumental in the party’s rise during the 2023 elections, insisting instead that the Labour Party gave Obi a platform.
“Obi did not make the Labour Party; the Labour Party made Peter Obi,” he said. “It was just a chance of circumstance because of the #EndSARS protests and the failings of past administrations. Nigerians were simply tired.”
He further alleged that Obi’s current actions were causing division within the party and accused him of having authoritarian tendencies.
“If he can fight party members to do his will, then he is not fit to run the party,” he said, reiterating that the party’s leadership remains united under National Chairman Julius Abure.
Arabambi’s comments come shortly after the Abure-led faction of the party issued a 48-hour ultimatum to Obi, demanding his resignation over his ties to the coalition.
In a statement dated July 3, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, stated, “Labour Party is not part of the coalition. Therefore, any of our members who are part of the coalition are given within 48 hours to formally resign their membership of the party.”
Ifoh accused the coalition members of being opportunists “interested in relaunching themselves into the circle of power,” and said the Labour Party would not tolerate dual loyalties or deceptive affiliations.
The brewing crisis follows a high-profile opposition meeting held in Abuja on July 2, where the African Democratic Congress (ADC) was adopted as the official political platform for the 2027 elections.
The coalition appointed former Senate President David Mark as its interim national chairman and former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola as secretary.
Notable attendees at the meeting included Atiku Abubakar, Nasir El-Rufai, Rotimi Amaechi, Dino Melaye, Dele Momodu, Gabriel Suswam, Ireti Kingibe, Emeka Ihedioha, Sadique Abubakar, and Peter Obi.
