Amidst swirling speculations and rumors of his departure from the Labour Party (LP), former 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi has unequivocally dismissed claims of abandoning the party.

In a candid address to Nigerians on a social media platform hosted by Parallel Facts, Obi reaffirmed his steadfast commitment to the LP and pledged to refrain from engaging in any activities deemed anti-party.

“I am still a member of the Labour Party and I don’t and will never do anti-party,” Obi asserted, dispelling any doubts about his political allegiance.
The former Anambra State governor further asserted that despite the outcome of the 2023 presidential election, he considers his campaign a success, citing the significant impact of his supporters, known as “Obidients,” both within Nigeria and globally.

“We did not lose the election of 2023, we won,” Obi declared, expressing gratitude to his supporters for their unwavering dedication and influence. “Your (Obidients) impact was felt all over the world, and you can’t take that for granted.”

Obi’s remarks come amidst a backdrop of heightened political tensions within the LP, with rumors and speculation rife about potential defections and internal discord. By reiterating his allegiance to the party and emphasizing the achievements of his campaign, Obi aims to reassure supporters and solidify his position within the LP ranks.

As Nigeria navigates through evolving political landscapes and uncertainties, Obi’s steadfast commitment to the LP underscores the resilience of party politics and the enduring dedication of political figures to their chosen affiliations.

By Abiola Olawale

Ahead of the forthcoming 2027 general elections, a Presidential candidate of the 2023 general election, Peter Obi, might have dropped a hint on his decision to remain in the Labour Party, the platform through which contested the last election.

This is as the former Anambra Governor distanced himself from the crisis rocking the Labour Party, asserting that his mission is to rebuild Nigeria and not the party.

Obi, who spoke on an X space hosted by Parallel Facts also said he ignored the National Convention of the party because the party leadership under Barrister Julius Abure failed to do wide consultation with key stakeholders before embarking on the said convention.

Though Obi emphasized the need for the right thing to be done to salvage the party, he stated that he is more passionate about building a new Nigeria than building a new Labour Party.

“We promised to build Nigeria, we did not promise to build a New Labour Party,” he emphatically affirmed.

He also threw his weight behind the call for a structure for the ‘OBIdient’ movement.

“It is the standard practice around the world where movements form themselves into blocs and are part of the political process,” he added.

The New Diplomat reports that the Labour Party has been witnessing stormy waters in recent times. Some stakeholders in the party had demanded the resignation of Abure over allegations of misappropriation of the party’s funds and misuse of power.

Also, Abure has been having a running battle with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) under the leadership of Comrade Joe Ajaero.

Earlier, the NLC called for Abure’s resignation as party chairman and the immediate constitution of a caretaker transition committee to organise a legitimate and all-inclusive national convention for the party.

However, despite calls from some quarters within the party for the postponement of the National Convention, the exercise took place and Abure was declared re-elected as the National Chairman of the Labour Party.

The Chairman of the National Convention and Deputy Governor of Abia State, Mr. Ikechukwu Emetu declared him the winner during the party’s national convention that was held on Wednesday in Nnewi, Anambra State.

Since the declaration, the Board of Trustees of the Labour Party declared the National Convention null and void. The BoT also side-lined Abure, declaring that it had taken over the running of the affairs of the party.

This was contained in a statement issued late Wednesday, March 27, by the BoT, through its Chairman, Comrade S.O.Z. Ejiofor.

In a counter-reaction, the Labour Party described the Board of Trustees’ attempt to take over its leadership as not only laughable but also completely unacceptable.

Peter Obi, the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 general election on Friday said that hunger and starvation loom in Nigeria if farmers are prevented from accessing their farms by bandits and terrorists.

Obi who spoke via huis verified X handle said, “I just read on the daily this morning, about the concerns being expressed by stakeholders in our agriculture sector over the worsening food insecurity in Nigeria.

“I have remained consistent in public voicing out my worries over this growing food crisis, which has even continued to claim the lives of our fellow citizens. I do believe that the urgency required to address these issues cannot be over-emphasized.

“The report this morning reads, in part, the number of food-insecure Nigerians increased significantly, from 66.2 million in Q1 2023 to 100 million in Q1 2024 (WFP, 2024), with 18.6 million facing acute hunger and 43.7 million Nigerians showing crisis-level or above crisis-level hunger- coping strategies as of March 2024.

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“While the above report gives an understanding of the present and impending food crisis looming large on the nation, the present realities show that we are already in a worse situation than is presented in the report.

“An earlier similar report by Cadre Harmonise stated that about 31.5 million Nigerians are projected to face acute hunger by the June-August of this year.

“What is now very worrisome is that many Nigerians have lost their lives in their quest to find food, reflecting a very acute level of hunger not yet captured in the media. We are gradually descending to the level of the survival of the fittest, where, driven by hunger and a quest for survival, one loses every sense of order to do the unthinkable.

“With the recurrent bandits and terror attacks on farmers, many of them have abandoned their farms. It is reported that in a state like Sokoto, farmers have paid an accumulated sum of N3 billion in ransom to bandits, others pay as high as N100,000 to bandits to gain access to their farmlands. About 165 farmers have reportedly lost their lives to insecurity this year alone.

“It is, therefore, a matter of urgency, for the government to solve the problems of insecurity in the country. This will in turn reduce the problems of food insecurity when farmers safely return to their farms. A New and hunger-free Nigeria is possible.”

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The Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, in the 2023 general election, Peter Obi, has said hunger and famine await Nigeria if farmers are denied access to farms by bandits and terrorists.

Obi, who was reacting to publications and the international agency’s warning on the matter, said the alarm should be given adequate attention.

“I just read on the daily this morning, about the concerns being expressed by stakeholders in our agriculture sector over the worsening food insecurity in Nigeria,” he wrote on X.

“I have remained consistent in public voicing out my worries over this growing food crisis, which has even continued to claim the lives of our fellow citizens.

“I do believe that the urgency required to address these issues cannot be over-emphasized.

“The report this morning reads, in part, “The number of food-insecure Nigerians increased significantly, from 66.2 million in Q1 2023 to 100 million in Q1 2024 (WFP, 2024), with 18.6 million facing acute hunger and 43.7 million Nigerians showing crisis-level or above crisis-level hunger- coping strategies as of March 2024.

“While the above report gives an understanding of the present and impending food crisis looming large on the nation, the present realities show that we are already in a worse situation than is presented in the report.

“An earlier similar report by Cadre Harmonise stated that about 31.5 million Nigerians are projected to face acute hunger by the June-August of this year.

“What is now very worrisome is that many Nigerians have lost their lives in their quest to find food, reflecting a very acute level of hunger not yet captured in the media. We are gradually descending to the level of the survival of the fittest, where, driven by hunger and a quest for survival, one loses every sense of order to do the unthinkable.

“With the recurrent bandits and terror attacks on farmers, many of them have abandoned their farms. It is reported that in a state like Sokoto, farmers have paid an accumulated sum of N3 billion in ransom to bandits, others pay as high as N100,000 to bandits to gain access to their farmlands. About 165 farmers have reportedly lost their lives to insecurity this year alone.

“It is, therefore, a matter of urgency, for the government to solve the problems of insecurity in the country. This will in turn reduce the problems of food insecurity when farmers safely return to their farms. A New and hunger-free Nigeria is POssible.”