Julius Abure, the factional National Chairman of the Labour Party, accused the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, of mismanaging both the party’s structure and his political momentum.….......
He made this claim while addressing ongoing leadership tensions and internal disputes, arguing that Obi failed to maximize the opportunities available to him when he had significant influence within the party.
In an interview with Arise News, Abure made this statement to counter growing narratives that credit Obi with elevating the Labour Party’s national profile in 2023. He insisted that Obi missed opportunities to resolve the internal crisis within the party.
He maintained that his faction had previously extended reconciliation efforts after securing favorable judgments at the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal. He argued that if those reconciliation efforts had been accepted, the party could have consolidated its position as a leading opposition force in Nigeria.
Abure further reacted to discussions about Obi’s possible return to the party. He noted that such a move remains uncertain and would ultimately depend on decisions by the party’s leadership organs if his faction regains control through the Supreme Court. He expressed skepticism about Obi’s willingness to return, stating that Obi had not said he would be returning.
Abure said that the party had surrendered the leadership of the party to Obi, but he failed to translate that advantage into sustainable growth and internal stability for the party.
In his words, “But I don’t think that Peter Obi will come back to the party. I don’t think so. I don’t feel so. I thought that Peter Obi had all the opportunity in the world to have managed the Labour Party effectively.”
“Peter Obi mismanaged the party and mismanaged his fortune. And so, coming back to the party to come and do what when he had all the opportunities. You know, we all deferred to Peter, gave him the opportunity, and surrendered leadership to him. Peter Obi could not provide leadership in the party.”
