The euphoria greeting the emergence of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) on Wednesday as the new main opposition party has been doused with a matching order from the Labour Party to its 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to tender his resignation within 48 hours.
The Julius Abure-led faction, long in a power tussle with the Obi-backed Nenadi-Usman-led Interim Caretaker Committee, issued the order over his involvement in the new political coalition.
The statement, signed by Obiora Ifoh, National Publicity Secretary of the faction, denounced Obi’s alliance with politicians it described as “power mongers” and “recycled elites.”
According to Ifoh, “Labour Party is not available for people with dual agenda, people with deceptive persona.”
Obi Accused of Backdoor Lobbying
The faction accused Obi of holding secret meetings to recruit LP members into the coalition, which recently adopted the ADC as its platform for the 2027 elections.
“We are aware of several nocturnal meetings between Peter Obi and some of our members, lobbying them to join him in his new party,” Ifoh stated.
The party insisted that any of its members aligning with the coalition must resign immediately.
“Labour Party has consistently said it is not part of the coalition,” the statement read. “Any of our members who is part of the coalition is given within 48 hours to formally resign.”
The statement was silent on what would happen if the respected politician, credited with transforming the fringe LP to a mainstream party in Nigeria, did not meet their demand.
Obi Defends Coalition, Calls for Unity
Meanwhile, Mr Obi defended the coalition as a collective effort to rescue Nigeria from its current condition.
He stressed that no single party or group can bring the change Nigeria urgently needs.
“No one group can change Nigeria alone,” Obi wrote on X. “To dismantle the structures that keep our people in poverty and insecurity, we must build bridges, not walls.”
Obi confirmed that the ADC has been formally adopted by the coalition for the 2027 elections, with former Senate President David Mark as National Chairman and Rauf Aregbesola as Secretary.
“Our commitment is to sacrifice and work together towards the 2027 General Elections, ensuring that Nigeria gets a competent, capable, and compassionate leadership,” Obi said.
He added that the decision to join the coalition came from “deep reflection on where we are as a country and what must be done to move forward.”
Ifoh, however, warned Nigerians that the idea of a new Nigeria cannot be built by “opportunistic politicians desperate to relaunch themselves into the circle of power.”
He concluded by urging loyal members of the party to “remain loyal and keep the party structure intact ahead of future elections.”
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