The Labour Party’s National Working Committee (NWC), led by Julius Abure, has made it clear that it will not impose any sanctions on its former presidential candidate, Peter Obi, despite claims of his alleged betrayal of the party. The Abure faction believes that Obi is being misled into supporting a controversial caretaker committee within the party. However, they remain hopeful that he will eventually return to the fold and restore unity within the party.
This stance was confirmed by the party’s National Legal Adviser, Kehinde Edun, during an interview with The PUNCH. According to Edun, punishing Obi would not resolve the ongoing conflict, which has deeply divided the party. Instead, the NWC prefers to give Obi the benefit of the doubt, acknowledging the pressure he faces and hoping he will soon realize the mistakes being made.
In the interview, Edun stated, “Obi is being misled. It is human to err, and we give respect to him as the leader. I understand there is so much pressure from everywhere, and we recognize that at the end of the day, the truth shall prevail.” He emphasized that the Labour Party should not be too harsh on Obi, as they believe the current confusion is temporary. He also added that they are confident Obi and other party leaders will eventually recognize the truth of the situation.
Meanwhile, Obi’s media aide, Umar Ibrahim, has refuted claims that Obi is being misled, asserting that the former governor of Anambra State is focused on building a united party.
Ibrahim noted that Obi has always been committed to promoting respect for the party’s constitution. He explained that Obi is not interested in engaging in unending disputes but prefers a peaceful approach to ensure unity within the Labour Party.
He said, “His Excellency Peter Obi is not interested in unending issues. He is interested in building a united party. So as long as they have respect for him, it’s good that they follow some of the laid-down rules and regulations of the party that can help us chart a way forward.
“That is exactly what we need to do. We should be able to ignore name-calling and all, but follow the provisions of the constitution of the party. As Obi usually says, if you want to be addressed as Excellency, you need to come through an excellent way.”
Last week, tensions escalated when the Abure-led NWC accused both Peter Obi and Governor Alex Otti of Abia State of abandoning the party at a crucial time. The National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, Obiora Ifoh, expressed disappointment at a press conference in Abuja, accusing Obi and Otti of siding with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) instead of standing by the party during its challenging period.
The NWC believes that this alleged betrayal is especially painful given the support they provided to both Obi and Otti during the 2023 general elections. Despite these accusations, the party’s leadership is determined to avoid a complete fallout, hoping that cooler heads will prevail and the divisions within the Labour Party can be healed.
