Politics

Obi: Concerns as factional LP Chair, Abure, Visits Wike

Published

4 months ago

July 14, 2025

A meeting between the factional National Chairman of Labour Party, LP, Barrister Julius Abure, and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory FCT, Nyesom Wike, has reportedly sent ripples of concern through the camp of the party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi.

The closed-door meeting, which took place at Minister Wike’s residence in Abuja on Sunday, has sparked considerable speculation, particularly given the ongoing internal wrangling within the Labour Party and recent developments concerning Peter Obi’s political alignment with the African Democratic Congress ADC.

While the specific agenda of the discussion remains undisclosed, the timing of the visit is noteworthy as it came barely days after the Abure-led faction of the Labour Party issued a 48-hour ultimatum to Obi, urging him to quit the party for his alleged involvement in the anti-Bola Tinubu new political coalition, the ADC.

INEC wades into LP crisis

Efforts by the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC to resolve the protracted leadership crisis plaguing the LP appear to have faltered, as warring factions have reportedly rejected the electoral body’s advice for reconciliation, according to Vanguard.

Sources within INEC told Vanguard that the commission recently convened a meeting with representatives from the various splinter groups within the party.

During the meeting, INEC officials reportedly urged the factions to “sheathe their swords,” stressing the importance of party unity and adherence to democratic principles.

The commission advised the LP to organize a National Executive Committee NEC meeting and subsequently a National Convention to elect a unified leadership in line with its constitution and the Electoral Act.

This intervention came amidst heightened tensions within the Labour Party, characterized by conflicting claims of legitimacy, parallel conventions, and legal battles.

The crisis has seen the Julius Abure-led faction consistently at loggerheads with other groups, including those aligned with the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and the Nigeria Labour Congress NLC which founded the party.

However, despite INEC’s counsel, reports indicate that the factions have been unwilling to compromise.

Insiders suggest that each faction remains entrenched in its position, insisting on the validity of its own leadership and rejecting the legitimacy of rival groups.

The Abure faction, which held a National Convention in March 2024 and another NEC meeting in May 2025, has maintained its stand, asserting that its leadership is legitimate and constitutionally recognized. They have also dismissed calls for a new National Convention, arguing that one has already been held.

Meanwhile, other factions and concerned stakeholders, including the NLC, have continued to challenge the legitimacy of the Abure-led executive, calling for a comprehensive resolution that reflects the true will of the party’s members.

The NLC, in particular, has been vocal about reclaiming the party and ensuring it aligns with its foundational ideology.

The refusal of the factions to heed INEC’s advice portends further instability for the Labour Party, especially as the 2027 general elections draw closer and with the advent of the coalition-backed ADC.

Political observers fear that without a unified front, the party, which gained significant traction in the last election, risks losing its electoral appeal and relevance.

Wike-Abure’s new parley

Minister Nyesom Wike, a prominent figure in the Peoples Democratic Party PDP and a minister under the ruling All Progressives Congress APC administration, has often thrown jabs at Obi, accusing him of leading a double life.

While speaking on June 26 at the commissioning of the Kugbo Bus and Taxi Terminal in Abuja, Wike had taken a subtle dig at Obi over the latter’s claim of leading a spartan lifestyle and not given to luxury like his contemporaries.

The FCT minister had recalled the heyday of the PDP and how he had joined a delegation to Anambra State where their host served them Cristal Brut, some form of expensive champagne.

Wike’s Sunday meeting with Abure, therefore, is viewed by some as a potential move to further destabilize the Labour Party, ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Sources close to Obi’s camp, who preferred anonymity, expressed apprehension over the development as they fear that the meeting could be a calculated attempt to deepen the existing factionalization within the LP and potentially undermine Obi’s political standing and future aspirations.

The Abure-led faction has consistently maintained that it is not part of any coalition and has dismissed members engaging with such coalitions as “power mongers.”

The LP has been grappling with significant internal conflicts, with different factions challenging the legitimacy of leadership and the party’s overall direction.

The Abure faction has on several occasions threatened to sanction prominent members, including Governor Alex Otti of Abia State and Peter Obi, over alleged anti-party activities.

Sunday’s Wike-Abure closed-door parley has now added another layer of complexity to the already intricate landscape of opposition politics in the country.

While the implications for the LP’s unity and Peter Obi’s political future are yet to fully emerge, the air of apprehension within his camp is however palpable.
(VANGUARD)

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Politics

APC Explains Suspension Of Senator Gbenga Daniel

Published

1 day ago

November 20, 2025

Editor

APC Ward 4 in Sagamu says it suspended Senator Gbenga Daniel because he refused to appear and defend himself over allegations of anti-party activities.

Speaking to journalists at the ward office in Sabo, Sagamu, the Ward Secretary, Hon. Oluwole Aduroja, said he spoke for the 19-member executive committee.

He explained that their clarification was necessary after a statement issued by MJS Partners on behalf of Senator Daniel, reacting to a November 17 letter from the APC National Secretariat.

Aduroja, who stood with the Ward Chairman, Hon. Adebayo Ismail, said the Ward Executive Committee agreed to suspend Senator Daniel because he failed to appear before a panel set up to review petitions against him.

The petitions accused him of working against the party.

He said the problem started during the last general elections, when Senator Daniel “acted in open defiance of the party and engaged in actions inimical to the interest of the APC and its candidates in Ogun State.”

Aduroja added that after the elections, the senator, “attempted to obstruct and frustrate the course of justice during the Election Petition Tribunal sittings through actions and interventions that were directly hostile to the interest of the APC and its candidates.”

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He said these actions remain unchallenged.

Reacting to the position of the APC National Secretary, Senator Surajudeen Bashiru, in the November 17 letter, Aduroja insisted that the APC Constitution allows Executive Committees at all levelsward, local government, state, zonal or national to discipline any member.

He said Article 21(5)(vii) gives the National Working Committee the power to suspend members, but does not override the powers of Executive Committees at other levels, and does not require them to seek approval from the NWC.

He explained that “any disciplinary action taken by an Executive Council, including suspension, is subject only to appeal as outlined in Article 21(4).”

He added that nothing in the constitution makes their decision dependent on NWC review.

Aduroja said Ward 4 is committed to discipline, fairness and due process, and stressed that the suspension of Senator Gbenga Daniel remains in full effect.”

Politics

Irresponsible Of You To Blame Trump Over Rising Insecurity – ADC Blasts Tinubu’s Govt

Published

1 day ago

November 20, 2025

Editor

The African Democratic Congress, ADC, has criticised the Federal Government of Nigeria for blaming the wave of attacks, especially in Kebbi and Kwara States on remarks by US President Donald Trump.

Recall that the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, George Akume on Wednesday, said recent statements by Trump concerning the security situation in Nigeria have emboldened violent groups across the country.

Responding to the SGF, the National Publicity Secretary of the ADC, Bolaji Abdullahi, in a statement said Akume’s comment was an attempt to deflect responsibility.

According to him, it is appalling that the APC-led government suggested that insecurity in Nigeria was triggered by a statement made by a foreign president.

The ADC mouthpiece further stated that the claim amounted to a shameful abdication of responsibility and a confirmation that President Bola Tinubu’s administration is overwhelmed by the security crisis.

He added that Nigerians had endured massacres, mass abductions and attacks on schools and places of worship for years under the APC-led government.

Abdullahi said the situation has worsened under the current administration because of the government’s failure to respond decisively.

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“It is therefore disingenuous to blame one tweet for the state of insecurity in Nigeria,”

“Those killing Nigerians did not need to be instigated by Trump; they were already actively encouraged by a government that consistently fails to act decisively to stop the carnage, a government that is, even after nearly three years in office, still celebrating its electoral victory while the country is turned into a killing field,” he said.

Politics

Top NNPP Mobiliser In Kano Resigns, Cites Neglect, Lack Of Recognition

Published

2 days ago

November 20, 2025

Editor

A key member of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in Bichi Local Government Area, Hon. Jamilu Kabir Bichi, has resigned from the party, saying he has been consistently sidelined despite his contributions.

Kabir, who was the NNPP Director-General of the 2023 Campaign in Bichi, announced his resignation in a letter dated November 19, 2025, and addressed to the party’s ward chairman.

He described his decision as “painful yet necessary,” explaining that he and his supporters had faced neglect in the party, especially in his home community.

He said the leadership had failed to acknowledge the sacrifice and effort of loyal members.

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“The leadership’s refusal at all levels to recognize our progressive agenda, loyalty, patience, and endurance has been deeply disheartening,” he wrote.

Kabir also said many committed members who worked hard to build the NNPP were denied chances to serve in the party or in government after the party won elections.

According to him, this made it impossible to remain in the party.

“As a principled individual with a political vision and mission… I can no longer, in good conscience, remain in a party that compromises my values,” he stated.

He thanked his political mentor, former Minister of Commerce and Industry, Hon. Ahmad Garba Bichi, praising his patience, loyalty, and straightforwardness.

Kabir added that he would continue to practice “politics without bitterness.”

He ended his letter with a prayer, asking Allah to guide the people of Bichi, Kano, and Nigeria, and pledged to stay committed to serving humanity.