By Ibrahim Kegbegbe
The leadership of the Labour Party (LP) has described the defection of its 2023 presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as a “liberation,” while formally apologising to Nigerians for presenting what it now admits was an “unfitting presidential candidate” in the last general election.
In a strongly worded statement issued on Wednesday, December 31, 2025, and signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Obiora Ifoh, the Labour Party said Obi’s departure marked the end of a prolonged internal crisis that had crippled the party since the aftermath of the 2023 elections.
“For us in the Labour Party, 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,” Ifoh said.
The party disclosed that it had effectively parted ways with Obi and some of his loyalists as far back as September 2024, accusing them of persistent insubordination and anti-party activities, particularly within the National Assembly.
According to Ifoh, the Merit Newspaper reports that the party leadership had repeatedly urged Obi and his supporters to either align with the party’s leadership or exit honourably.
“It will be on record that the leadership of the Labour Party had urged Mr. Obi and his disgruntled followers to leave the party if they were unable to work with its leadership. Several lawmakers were suspended for anti-party conduct, and the same fate awaited the presidential candidate but for the intervention of well-meaning Nigerians,” he stated.
The Labour Party further blamed the prolonged leadership crisis within the party on Obi and Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, accusing them of sponsoring an internal rebellion against the Julius Abure-led national leadership.
“The crisis we had in the Labour Party was caused by Peter Obi and Governor Alex Otti. They sponsored the insurrection against the Julius Abure leadership,” Ifoh alleged.
He expressed surprise that Governor Otti, despite being suspended by the party, had not followed Obi out of the Labour Party.
“We expected Governor Otti to follow his political leader. Even though he has been suspended, he is still loitering around. It is not too late for him to leave,” he added.
Commenting on Obi’s formal reception into the ADC in Enugu, the party dismissed the event as unimpressive and poorly attended, claiming it was boycotted by influential political and traditional figures in the South-East.
“What took place in Enugu was a charade. Prominent political and traditional institutions in the South-East largely stayed away. What we saw were political spent forces who cannot win elections even in their wards,” Ifoh said.
The party warned that Obi’s current political trajectory posed a risk to the South-East, arguing that the region paid a heavy price for its overwhelming support for him in 2023.
“The South-East lost out completely in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government because they trusted and believed in Peter Obi. While some states have as many as five ministers, the entire South-East was allocated only five ministerial slots,” he lamented.
Ifoh also alleged continued marginalisation of the region in federal appointments and infrastructure allocation, cautioning against what he described as “another political harakiri” ahead of future elections.
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In a rare public admission, the Labour Party apologised to Nigerians for its choice of candidate in 2023, saying hindsight had revealed serious misjudgment.
“We gave Nigerians a candidate we thought was good for the nation in 2023, but time has proved that we made the greatest political mistake. We plead for forgiveness from Nigerians,” the statement read.
The party assured Nigerians that it was repositioning itself ahead of future elections and promised to present candidates capable of delivering effective governance.
“Nigerians should watch out for the Labour Party. We are already working out the best prospects that we believe will bring Nigeria back to its glorious days,” Ifoh reiterated.
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The defection of Peter Obi to the ADC has continued to generate strong reactions across the political landscape, with analysts predicting a major realignment of opposition forces ahead of the next general election.
