The loyalists of the Labour Party (LP) 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, have dismissed the recent threat regarding the 2027 presidential ticket made by the factional National Publicity Secretary of the party, Abayomi Arabambi.
During an interview with Channels Television, Arabambi stated that the party would move into 2027 without Peter Obi, claiming that the momentum enjoyed by the LP in 2023 was driven more by the #EndSARS movement and public discontent with the Buhari administration than by Obi’s personal influence.
He asserted, “We are going to do our 2027 without Peter Obi; he will not have our ticket. Obi has one leg in Labour Party, one leg in PDP, and one leg in ADC. If he believes he has that proficiency on his own to have seven million votes in 2027, we advise him to pronounce his departure from the Labour Party.”
These remarks have further deepened divisions within a party already facing factional leadership battles following its unexpected performance in the 2023 elections. The Independent National Electoral Commission has yet to officially recognize any of the factions after the Supreme Court judgment.
In response to Arabambi’s comments, Yunusa Tanko, the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement Worldwide, labeled the statements as distractions, stating, “Most of the things that he talks about are creations of his own imaginations.”
Peter Obi’s media aide, Dapo Adaramewa, also criticized Arabambi’s claims, calling them laughable and preposterous. He clarified that Peter Obi remains a member of the LP and that his coalition-building efforts with other opposition leaders under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) do not signify disloyalty.
Adaramewa remarked, “Arabambi’s allegations are laughable, especially his claim that #EndSARS and not Obi was responsible for the Labour Party’s success in 2023. Honestly, I don’t know who Arabambi thinks he is to determine who will pick the LP ticket. Is it his ticket to give? Obi remains a card-carrying member of the Labour Party.”
He added, “So, it is very clear that Arabambi has seemingly lost his way and focus. All of this seems to be an attempt to factionalise the party and it wouldn’t work. Eventually, INEC will give its verdict regarding the party direction and leadership. But until then, it’s one united party.”
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