Politics

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

Published

2 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)

Up Next

Why Okpebholo Should Not Probe Obaseki – Wike

Don't Miss

2027: Presidency Planning To Use Courts To Sabotage ADC’s Momentum – David Mark Raises Alarm

Comments

Politics

Edo PDP Knocks Okpebholo Over ₦2.5b Donation To UBTH

Published

1 day ago

August 27, 2025

Editor

Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned the approval of ₦2.5 billion to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital by Governor Monday Okpebholo.

The Governor announced the approval on Tuesday when the new Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Idia Ize-Iyamu, paid a courtesy visit to him in Government House, Benin.

Ize-Iyamu had requested the state government’s assistance in constructing a world-class Paediatric Centre worth N2.5 billion which the governor approved.

However, the PDP, in a statement by its Caretaker Committee Publicity Secretary, Chris Nehikhare said the governor should have invested the money on state-owned hospitals instead of a federal institution.

The statement statement partly reads, “This misadventure is not only reckless but a glaring example of the 2027 election fixation and desperate eye-service politics that has defined Okpebholo’s almost one year in office.

“Edo people are being made to suffer while their resources are squandered on federal facilities that are not the primary responsibility of the state.

“We align with the position of the Association of Resident Doctors under Edo State Government Employment, who have openly decried this misplaced priority. Their statement exposes what Edo people already know, our hospitals are collapsing, yet the Governor prefers to chase cheap popularity.”

The PDP said that Stella Obasanjo Hospital, which was rebuilt with state funds, remained locked with less than a tenth in use, wondering why the ₦2.5 billion was not channelled there.

The statement added, “The Edo Specialist Hospital continues to cry for expansion and adequate support but has been ignored by a government obsessed with pleasing political benefactors and seeking headlines.

“The General Hospital in Abudu is no more than a mere patent medicine store, and yet, ‘₦2.5 billion that belongs to Odogwu is being given to Caesar.”

The PDP also noted that Edo doctors, who only recently suspended their strike, still have their legitimate demands unmet.

“Edo people obviously did not elect a Governor to act as a philanthropist to federal institutions. They elected a leader to fix our hospitals, build capacity, and ensure access to healthcare for all. By neglecting this sacred duty, Okpebholo has shown that he is unprepared, unserious, and out of touch with the realities of Edo citizens.

“We in the PDP demand that this decision be reversed and that urgent attention be given to Edo-owned hospitals which directly serve our people. Edo deserves working hospitals, not political monuments built with eyes on the 2027 elections.

“This is not leadership. This is a reckless waste. And Edo people will not forget,” the statement added.

Efforts to get the government’s response proved futile, as a top official, who pleaded anonymity, said that a response will come on Thursday.

Politics

PDP Zones 2027 Presidential Ticket To South

Published

3 days ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

The Peoples Democratic Party’s 102nd National Executive Committee meeting has resolved to zone its 2027 presidential ticket to the South while retaining the existing National Working Committee zoning formula for the November elective convention.

Addressing journalists after the NEC meeting in Abuja on Monday, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, disclosed that the decision followed the presentation of a report by the Zoning Committee chaired by Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri.

Recall that during the 2023 elections, the PDP threw its presidential ticket open, leading to the emergence of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as its candidate.

However, some southern leaders, led by then Rivers State Governor and now FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, opposed him over what they saw as an unfair power-sharing arrangement for the South.

In the end, the PDP candidate lost to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress.

After declaring the zoning arrangement, Ologunagba added that the NEC also expressed satisfaction over the level of preparedness of the PDP’s various organs, Chapters and structures for the 2025 Elective National Convention scheduled for Ibadan, the Oyo State Capital on Saturday 15th to Sunday 16th November 2025.

Ologunagba, while reading the 102nd NEC communiqué, said the meeting commended the efforts of PDP governors, Board of Trustees, NWC, National Assembly caucus, and other party organs toward the success of the 2025 National Convention.

The communique read in part, “NEC received and after extensive deliberation approved the report of the National Convention Zoning Committee which recommended that all PDP National Office positions currently in the Northern Region of the country remain in the Northern Region.

“That all PDP National Office positions currently in the Southern Region of the country remain in the Southern Region.

“That having retained the position of the National Chairman in the Northern Region of the country, the Presidential Candidate of the Party for the 2027 General Election is hereby zoned to the Southern Region.

“That the Regions should immediately micro-zone positions within its Region for implementation.

“NEC also received an update from the PDP Constitution Amendment Committee and directed the Committee to circulate the Draft Constitution Amendment to various Organs and Chapters of the Party for further inputs.”

Ologunagba said NEC confirmed Umar Damagum as substantive National Chairman, effective Monday, August 25, 2025, in recognition of his role in stabilising the party, pending the National Convention.

He continued, “NEC condemns the resort by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to State Capture through state-backed intimidation, manipulation, inducement, coercion and violence against Nigerians as witnessed in APC’s muzzling of the recent bye-elections in parts of the country.

“NEC particularly expressed dismay and condemned the militarisation of the recent bye-elections especially in Kaduna and Taraba States as well as Zamfara State where excessive security agencies were deployed in the conduct of the run-off election in only five Polling Units in Kaura Namoda South State Constituency.

“NEC declares that this action by the APC is a confirmation of the APC’s desire to turn our country into a totalitarian One-Party State which is a clear and present danger to democracy and the corporate existence of our country.

“NEC reassures Nigerians of PDP’s commitment to Democracy and the defense of the interest and well-being of all citizens as we work hard to further reposition our Party to regain power in 2027.”

Politics

Why APC Candidates Contested 2023 LG Election Despite Intimidation — State Chairman

Published

4 days ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

The Edo State Chairman
of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Jarret Tenebe, has explained why his party did not boycott the 2023 local government council election in the state despite intimidation and obvious efforts to compromise the exercise by the then government.

He said the party allowed its candidates to contest the local government election in order to gather momentum for the governorship election which was some months away as at then.

Tenebe spoke on Monday when he received the chairmanship candidates of the APC in that election at the party secretariat, Benin City, where he assured them that their labour would not be in vain.

He commended them for their determination, confidence and belief in the party despite being in an opposition at that time contesting against an incumbent government led by former governor Godwin Obaseki.

Tenebe said “People never believed that APC should contest that election but I believed that we should enable us to gather momentum for the governorship election which was coming then.

“Consultations began with party leaders and we all later agreed that the party should contest that election which was keenly contested.

“The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) under Godwin Obaseki wrote the results of that election.

“You people did your best in the election and campaigned vigorously for senator Monday Okpebholo to win the governorship election in the state.

“You work hard to ensure APC win the governorship election as that is the only way your stolen mandate will be returned.

“The party will stand with you and not allow your labour to be in vain. The party will not allow you to work alone as the party will work with you. The governor is very much aware of your support”.

Speaking on behalf of the candidates, Enahoro Aikpokpo said they contested at a very difficult time to keep the party alive despite the intimidation and challenges they faced.

He called on the party to consider them and give them the right of first refusal as they are interested in the forthcoming local government election in the states.