Ohanaeze Ndigbo has pleaded with the presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP) in the last general election, Peter Obi, for the sake of equity, national integration and peace, to drop his 2027 presidential ambition and support President Bola Tinubu’s second term bid.
This was as LP sank deeper into internal strife, with rival factions trading accusations over the interpretation of the Supreme Court’s April 4 judgment and the party’s stance on Obi.
Meanwhile, the party’s vice presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Dr Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, has admitted that Julius Abure remains the national chairman of the party following the Supreme Court ruling.
In a statement in Abakaliki, the Deputy National President of the Ohanaeze faction, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, told Obi that wresting power from the incumbent President Tinubu would prove exceedingly challenging, reminding him that only the South-East would not make him president.
Isiguzoro maintained that the present political climate, marked by a lack of unity among opposition leaders and the inordinate ambition of Atiku Abubakar – who, at the age of 81, seeks the presidency – poses a significant risk.
He further noted that Obi and Atiku would share the opposition vote, which will ultimately pave the way for Tinubu’s re-election, and should the scenario unfold, the repercussions would undoubtedly fall heavily upon the South-East, pleading with Obi to support Tinubu’s second bid.
The statement reads: “Ohanaeze Ndigbo fully acknowledges Obi’s constitutional right to contest the presidency in 2027.However, we must confront the stark reality that, despite his considerable social media following, the potential for betrayal looms large.
‘Such betrayal could yield dire consequences, with the Igbo people once again bearing the repercussions, as we did in the elections of 2019 and 2023. In 2019, Mr. Obi was the running mate to Atiku Abubakar, and the joint ticket ultimately cost the South-East an additional sixth state, a promise made by former President Muhammadu Buhari to Igbo leaders contingent upon their support.”
However, Senator Nenadi Usman’s faction, which claims legitimacy following the court ruling, dismissed reports of an alleged plot to expel Obi as false and mischievous.
Her Senior Special Adviser on Media, Ken Eluma, Asogwa, accused “political jesters” and “impostors” of spreading disinformation to undermine Obi’s coalition-building efforts.
“Their antics are laughable, illegal and desperate,” he said, stressing that only communications from the Acting National Chairman’s office should be trusted.
Asogwa reiterated that Obi’s coalition activities have the full support of the party’s leadership, referencing a May 25 statement backing his efforts to forge alliances.
But the Abure-led faction fired back, accusing Usman of misrepresenting the Supreme Court judgment. In a counter-statement by National Publicity Secretary Obiora Ifoh, the group argued that the ruling merely reaffirmed that the judiciary lacks jurisdiction over internal party affairs, and did not endorse any leadership.
It dismissed Usman’s claim to leadership and insisted the party had moved beyond court drama to focus on the 2027 elections. “Serious aspirants are already engaging with us,” Ifoh said. “Let the wailers keep wailing; we’re moving forward.”
Datti, while appearing as a guest on ‘The Morning Brief’, a Channels Television programme, yesterday, said: “When INEC raised issues about the tenure of Abure that necessitated the responses in Umuahia, Abia State, and we did so clearly and legitimately, and I was part of it.
“The Supreme Court gave a ruling which we interpreted again in favour of the Usman group. Afterwards, INEC continued to relate with the Abure faction. We are law-abiding citizens. Members of LP are being remote-controlled and played with by some powerful forces out there. But they can’t continue to do this forever. Very soon it will end, and what you see going on now is what the authorities at that time said.”
On Monday, Datti attended the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the Abure-led faction of the LP in Abuja, where he announced his interest in contesting the 2027 presidential election.
He also said Obi was free to seek the party’s presidential ticket for the 2027 elections, whether or not he returns as his running mate.
“There are two key individuals I have tremendous respect for; one is Peter Obi. I welcome him openly. LP welcomes him to come and retain the ticket and contest in 2027 with or without me. And the ADC is welcome to adopt a southern candidate,” he added.
