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Four members of the Anambra State House of Assembly and scores of Labour Party (LP) members loyal to the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, on Saturday, defected to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

The defections come shortly after Obi formally joined the ADC, signalling what supporters describe as a significant realignment in the state and across the South‑East.

The lawmakers who defected include the LP caucus leader in the House, Hon. Jude Ifeanyi Umennajiego, Hon. Fred Ezenwa, Hon. Kingsley Udemezue, and Hon. Henry Nigeria Mbachu.

Several high‑profile party chieftains also joined the shift, including former LP State Secretary and Publicity Secretary Barr. Okoli Akirika, Engineer Theo Egbe, and former Commissioner for Women Affairs Lady Harrieta Agbata.

Speaking at the defection event, Umennajiego said the move was just the beginning of a broader exodus that would follow Obi’s decision to join the ADC.

“The defections that would follow Obi’s decision to join the ADC would be ‘humongous and tremendous’ in Anambra State and across the South‑East,” he said.

He described the movement as a clear show of loyalty to Obi’s leadership and political direction.

In his opening remarks, the meeting convener, Barrister Okoli Akirika, said some defectors had been in Enugu State, witnessing similar developments following Obi’s ADC move.

“Since our leader has joined ADC, we have decided to follow him. Our leader left, so we have to follow him,” Akirika said.

Akirika urged members to return to their respective wards to formally register with the ADC, stressing the importance of building the party from the grassroots.

He described the wave of defections as a mass movement driven by Nigerians, with the goal of fostering good governance and preventing the hijacking of party structures.

The communiqué of the meeting was read by Engineer Theo Egbe, the former LP State Publicity Secretary, who confirmed that the defectors had resigned individually and collectively from the Labour Party in alignment with Obi’s decision.

Egbe urged all defectors to engage with their ADC ward leadership for proper registration and integration into the party.

9News Nigeria

9News Nigeria

The Labour Party (LP) has described the defection of its 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as a blessing, saying the move has liberated the party.

9news Nigeria reports that LP, in a statement titled “Labour Party Finally Liberated by Peter Obi’s Defection”, signed by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Obiora Ifoh, faulted Peter Obi’s speech at the defection event in Enugu and questioned what he intends to sell to Nigerians.

The party also accused Peter Obi and Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, of being responsible for the crisis rocking the party and sponsored the insurrection against the Julius Abure leadership.

The Labour Party noted that the Enugu defection event was boycotted by prominent political and traditional institutions in the South East, which clearly poses a danger to Peter Obi’s presidency.

The party also asked Nigerians to forgive it for fielding Peter Obi as its presidential candidate in the last general election, which it described as the greatest political mistake.

The statement read, “The leadership of the Labour Party took note of the defection of its 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi and a few of his supporters to the African Democratic Congress, ADC. We also took note of the lacklustre speech Mr. Obi made at the occasion, and wondered what new he intends to sell to Nigerians.

“For us in Labour Party, we wondered why it took them this long to make the move because we have since September 2024, parted ways with Peter Obi and some of his blind supporters in the National Assembly. We have patiently waited for this day. The party is finally liberated by this defection and as Party leaders, we count it as a blessing.

“It will be on record that the leadership of the Labour Party had since urged Obi and his disgruntled followers to exit the party if they were unable to work with the leadership of the party. As a matter of fact, the party had suspended many of the lawmakers for anti party and was clearly going to mete the same treatment on the Presidential Candidate but for the intervention of some well meaning Nigerians.

“The crisis we had in Labour Party was caused by Peter Obi and the Abia state governor, Dr. Alex Otti. It was them that sponsored the insurrection against the Julius Abure leadership. We had also expected Governor Otti to follow Obi out of the party. We are surprised that even though he has been suspended from the party, he is still loitering around. It is still not too late for him to follow his political leader.

“The party also warned that the charade which took place today in Enugu was largely boycotted by prominent political and traditional institutions in the South East. All we saw were mere political spent forces who cannot win in their wards should there be an election today. This is clearly a danger signal that the Obi presidency (or Vice Presidency) is already a failed project from inception. He has clearly lost the charm that had endeared him to the people prior 2023.

“He must be told that the South East lost out completely in the President Ahmed Tinubu’s government because they trusted and believed in him in 2023. While some states of the federation boast as much as five ministers, the entire states in the South East was given a paltry five ministerial slot. The marginalization against the zone has continued even in infrastructure allocation and I wonder if the Southeast will repeat the same political harakiri again.

“Finally, we urge Nigerians to watch out for the Labour Party. We gave Nigerians a candidate we thought was good for the nation in 2023, but time has since proved that we made the greatest political mistake. We plead for forgiveness from Nigerians. We are already working out the best prospect that we hope will bring Nigeria back to its glorious days.”

9News Nigeria

9News Nigeria

Kennedy Ahanotu, the National Youth Leader of the Labour Party (LP), has declared his intention to run for the presidency in the 2027 general election.

At 41, Ahanotu becomes the first member of the LP to openly announce his ambition for the nation’s top office.

In an interview published Tuesday, he said Nigeria urgently needed a generational shift and institutional reform.

“I am contesting for the highest office in the land to give Nigeria a fresh start — one rooted in institutional transformation and rebuilding. It’s time to hit the industrial reset button and build a sustainable democracy that works for all,” he told Punch.

Referencing historical precedents, Ahanotu cited Yakubu Gowon, who became Head of State at age 29, as an example of youthful leadership Nigeria should revisit.

“Every man is born for a purpose. I believe mine is to provide impactful leadership, and now is the time to pursue that vision,” he said.

Ahanotu asserted that he was fully prepared to lead, stating he is “morally, academically, constitutionally, emotionally, and mentally” fit for the presidency.

On whether he would resign his position as LP youth leader, he noted that the party’s constitution did not require it but said he might step aside when necessary.

“If the need arises, I will not hesitate. There’s a higher calling for greater impact,” he said.

When asked if he would withdraw should the party endorse another candidate, Ahanotu responded, “As a loyal party member, I am bound by the constitution and internal mechanisms of the Labour Party.”

He declined to disclose how he planned to fund his campaign but acknowledged the high financial demands of a presidential run.

“I know what it takes to run for the presidency in today’s monetised political climate. When the time comes, we’ll see if money can stop us,” he said.

9News Nigeria

9News Nigeria

More trouble is looming for Labour Party as the factional leader of the party Abayomi Arabambi, has vowed that the party will soon hold a National Convention where it plans to expel Peter Obi, Governor Alex Otti, and others who are currently suspended.

Arabambi, the factional Publicity Secretary of the LP, made this known during an interview on Television Continental (TVC). He accused the former presidential candidate Peter Obi and Abia State Governor Alex Otti of causing problems within the party.

“These characters that are troubling our party are a few selfish Nigerians that are after their own personal aggrandisement. We will not allow them to ruin our party,” Arabambi said.

He insisted that the Supreme Court never removed Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the party, contrary to what some other factions claim.

When asked about how the party planned to restore peace, Arabambi replied that a National Convention was the only solution.

“There can be only one solution which a National Convention will soon unleash. It is to expel Peter Obi, Governor Alex Oti and others. They’re currently under suspension. I assure you that they will be expelled soon,” he said.

Arabambi also dismissed corruption allegations made against Julius Abure by another faction of the party led by Nenadi Usman. He called those allegations “a big joke.”

“You see, those people are jokers. Imagine Nenadi that is not even a member of the party leveling allegations and issuing queries. Where does that happen?

“Nenadi coordinated the Obedients group. She worked for Peter Obi and is still working for him. She is not a member of our party. That is why I didn’t include her among those to be expelled soon. You can’t expel someone who’s not one of you. Imagine that Headmistress of Corruption labelling Abure as corrupt. Are you not aware that she has been standing trial for corruption? She is negotiating a plea-bargain right now. She’s the Headmistress of corruption,” Arabambi said.

Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it has not yet recognised any new leadership in the Labour Party. INEC explained that it is still reviewing recent court judgments related to the party’s leadership.

In April 2025, the Supreme Court dismissed a decision by the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which had earlier confirmed Julius Abure as the party’s National Chairman.

9News Nigeria

9News Nigeria

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has re-listed Mr. Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP) on its official website, following a recent Supreme Court ruling.

Also reinstated is Alhaji Umar Farouk Ibrahim, who returns as the party’s National Secretary.

According to investigation and checks by 9News Nigeria, the commission acted on the strength of a court order, specifically the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the Supreme Court judgment, which held that the internal leadership dispute in the Labour Party was not justiciable in court.

In a similar move, INEC also restored Senator Samuel Anyanwu’s name as the National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), although it did not explicitly state whether this action was based on a court order.

The Supreme Court had, in separate judgments delivered earlier this year, overturned previous decisions of the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal that had sacked both Abure and Anyanwu from their respective party positions. In both instances, the apex court ruled that the lower courts lacked the jurisdiction to entertain matters deemed internal party affairs.

Despite the ruling, key figures within the Labour Party, including Abia State Governor Alex Otti and the party’s 2023 presidential candidate Mr. Peter Obi, had expressed support for a Caretaker Committee led by Senator Nenadi Usman.

They argued that the Supreme Court ruling effectively ousted Abure. Sponsored In a bid to clarify the party’s leadership status, Governor Otti visited INEC headquarters on April 9 to present the CTC of the Supreme Court judgment.

According to him, the visit was intended to promote institutional alignment and mutual understanding regarding the current structure of the Labour Party.

An INEC source confirmed that the commission’s decision to reinstate Abure followed a careful review of the court’s ruling, which did not address the substantive issues but instead nullified the lower courts’ jurisdiction.

This, the source said, meant the legal status reverted to the pre-litigation period. In the PDP, the leadership battle between Senator Anyanwu and Mr. Sunday Ude-Okoye — reportedly backed by some governors — was similarly settled by the Supreme Court in favor of Anyanwu, on the grounds that it was an internal party matter.

With these developments, INEC’s updated records now reflect the reinstatement of the previously embattled officials, marking a new phase in the leadership dynamics of both the Labour Party and the PDP.

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9News Nigeria

9News Nigeria

The National Executive Committee of Labour Party, LP, has approved April 5 for its governorship primary in Anambra.

Labour Party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, made this known in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja, stressing that the National Secretary of the party, Umar Ibrahim, published this in a timetable and schedule of activities for Anambra 2025 gubernatorial primaries.

According to him, the timetable indicates that the sale of expression and interest forms will commence on February 10 2025, while the sale of the delegate’s form will start on March 20 of the same year.

The national publicity secretary, therefore urged all interested aspirants to visit the party’s national headquarters for collection of the guidelines for the governorship primary and other necessary information.

9News Nigeria

9News Nigeria

Following continuous defection of Labour party stakeholders, politicians, lawmakers, members to the leading political party, All Progressives Congress APC, the labour party leadership have alerted Nigerians on their readiness to open ‘Hall of Shame’ register for all their party defectors.

Labour party has therefore tasked Nigerians to end careers of such defectors they have termed ‘Jumpology’ politicians rushing to APC for coverage and political relevance. LP leadership has also alleged that such defector ‘Jumpology’ politicians have ridiculed the Peter Obi’s movement.

The party has also faulted such abandonment of Labour Party by its notable members and stakeholders and Condemned their exits from the OBIdient movement targetted at forming alliance against Mr Peter Obi’s political aspiration.

The leadership of the Labour Party LP has received with discontentment the news of defection of some lawmakers representing the party in the National Assembly to the ruling APC. The Reps members include Tochukwu Okere (Imo), Donatus Mathew (Kaduna), Bassey Akiba (Cross River), Iyawe Esosa (Edo) and Daulyop Fom (Plateau). Their letter of defection to the APC was read on the Green Chamber floor by the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas.

Against this defection, a press release signed by Obiora Ifoh, National Publicity Secretary Labour Party on 05/12/2024 stated that “It was quite unfortunate and we condemn the action which is irrational, untenable, inconsistent and alien to all known norms for which democracy stands for.

Section 68(g) of the 1999 constitution is emphatic on when to defect and what happens when a lawmaker sponsored by a political party decides to jump ship. The Constitution states (g) being a person whose election to the House was sponsored by a political party, he becomes a member of another political party before the expiration of the period for which that House was elected; provided that his membership of the latter political party is not as a result of a division in the political party of which he was previously a member or of a merger of two or more political parties or factions by one of which he was previously sponsored;

Since the formation of Labour Party in 2002, the party has been very active in the political scene having in the past produced a governor and several other elected officers across board. But it was in the 2023 general election that it achieved its highest feat under the leadership of Barrister Julius Abure having won a governorship seat, 8 Senate and 35 House of Representative seats as well as numerous state House of Assembly seats. The party also caused a major upset at the presidential election, one that many Nigerians still believed that Labour Party won.

The successes achieved at that election expectedly elicited some pockets of internal pressure which have since being dealt with through internal peace mechanism and also through judicial means. Presently, while some other big parties are swimming in their own political tempest, Labour Party has since moved on having resolved all its challenges. It is therefore safe to say that there is absolute peace in the Labour Party. Therefore, no one elected on the ticket of the Labour Party has the constitutional protection to decamp from the party along with the party’s mandate.

For emphasis, you will recall that the leadership of the party in 2022, in line with the party’s manifesto, threw the doors of the party open to all Nigerians who desire to be in the leadership cadre but could not because of the monetization policies of some of the octopus parties then in existence.

The Labour Party thought it wise to percolate power down to the grassroot to serve the intended population rather than allowing power to be exclusively for the urbane and rich few. Labour Party did not only give out free membership cards but also gave out free nomination forms to as many that could not afford the ridiculously low fees.

Thousands, including Okada riders, brick layers, young unemployed graduates, and artisans of all sorts including a palm kernel crusher in Enugu, took advantage of the party’s policy to participate in the 2023 general election, for which many of them won their elections. These deserters did not win because of their pedigree or financial muscles but simple because of the ticket they ran on and by the grace of millions of people that vowed to see the end to the ‘entitlement mentality’ of a few cabal. Nigerians invested their tears and blood; their all to see these changes, entrusted their future on these neophyte lawmakers hoping that they will represent them well, but sooner than they were initiated into the cabal club with N160 million limousine and other pecuniary allowances running into hundreds of millions, they easily derailed.

It would be recalled that a Labour Party Women Leader in Kaduna State, Victoria Chintex was assassinated in 2022 while working for candidates of the party in the state including one Okada rider, Donatus Mathew, who eventually won as a member of the House of Reps for Kaura constituency.

In his case, he said he defected because he is the sole Labour Party member in the whole of Northwest region and not because the party is in any crisis. Hon Mathew practically spit on the grave of late Chantex and disrespected thousands of party members in Kaduna who toiled to elect him into position of power. This is why the party, arising from a recent unfortunate activity, did say that ‘the beautiful ones are not yet born’.

In the case of Reps Okere, Akiba, Esosa and Fom, these men got into their positions on a platter as the party issued them solitary tickets, funded their campaigns, stretched backwards to defend them in the tribunal, gifting them waivers and spending fortunes administratively to ensure they were not removed.

Interestingly, none of these ingrates remembered to send a kobo to the party in their 18 months of their legislative adventure as a way of check-off dues. No support to the party whatsoever since their inauguration. They simply forgot where they were coming from.

Though, the Labour Party leadership is undaunted by the defection, it has however, elected not to allow it slide and has therefore instructed its legal team to commence the legal actions against the defectors and to also commence the process of regaining our mandates in line with the 1999 constitution and 2022 Electoral Act as amended.

The party will also approach the Speaker of the House of Representatives to declare vacant the seats occupied by these former Labour Party members in line with the House Rules. It is inappropriate and unacceptable for the these lawmakers to continue to function as representatives of their constituencies illegally.

The party has also decided to open a ‘Hall of Shame’ register for these lawmakers or any lawmaker or elected officer of the party who engages in fraudulent act of defection without first dropping the mandate gotten under the ticket of the party.

The following lawmakers include 1. Senator Francis Ezenwa Onyewuchi (Imo East) 2. Reps Bassey Akiba (Calabar Municipality/ Odukpani Federal Constituency) 3. Reps Tochukwu Okere (Owerri Federal Constituency), 4. Reps. Donatus Mathew (Kaura Federal Constituency.), 5. Reps Iyawe Esosa (Oredo Federal Constituency) and Daulyop Fom (Plateau). These lawmakers will feature prominently in the register.

On that note, we will call on Nigerians to beware of these genre of politicians lacking in clear democratic ideology and ethos rather than ‘Jumpology’ ideology; jumping from one party to the other, in disregard to the enabling laws and without any ideological leaning. If we really want this democracy to thrive, we must isolate these political merchants and opportunists and help bury their mercantilist political enterprise by snubbing, affronting and rejecting them in future polls having exhibited grave level of character deficit by betraying public trust., Labour party leadership insists.

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9News Nigeria

Doyin Okupe has withdrawn as the Vice-presidential Candidate of Labour Party Presidential Candidate, Peter Obi.

Sources informed 9news Nigeria correspondent on Thursday that Okupe has communicated his decision to the stakeholders of Labour Party and Mr Peter Obi.

More details soon….

9News Nigeria