LP Crisis: Abure Warns Obi Against Blackmail, Denies APC Infiltration

Julius Abure, factional National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), has issued a stern warning to the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, accusing him of blackmailing the party’s leadership and spreading falsehoods.

The warning was contained in a statement released on Tuesday by the faction’s National Secretary, Alhaji Umar Farouk Ibrahim. It follows Obi’s recent Arise TV interview, in which he claimed that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) had infiltrated LP’s leadership to fuel internal crisis.

According to Abure’s camp, Obi failed to provide any concrete evidence to support his claims. Instead, they argued that the party’s internal issues stem from Obi himself and Abia State Governor Alex Otti, who is currently suspended for alleged anti-party activities.

“The crisis in the Labour Party was not engineered by the APC,” the statement read. “It was created and has been sustained by Peter Obi and Alex Otti. Obi should stop misleading Nigerians.”

The faction challenged Obi to present any form of evidence showing that LP’s leadership under Abure is colluding with the APC.

They also accused Obi of poor leadership, urging him to take responsibility for his failures during and after the 2023 election.

“No one is perfect. A good leader must admit mistakes. Peter Obi failed to lead effectively and must stop demarketing the party,” the statement continued.

The group reaffirmed that the LP would not enter into any political alliance, emphasizing that it chose to support both Obi and Otti during the 2023 elections and remained loyal throughout.

This development underscores the growing tensions within the Labour Party as it navigates post-election divisions and leadership battles.