Abure: Obi has squandered goodwill, won’t repeat 2023 success, says ex-LP chairman

Former National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Julius Abure, has said Peter Obi will not achieve the level of success he recorded in the 2023 general election, accusing the former Anambra State governor of squandering the goodwill and political capital he previously enjoyed.

Abure made the remarks during an interview with Punch on Sunday, declaring that he would not support the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in the 2027 general election because Obi is associated with the party.

He said his camp was open to supporting another presidential candidate and political party whose interests and ideology aligned with theirs ahead of the 2027 polls.

“Let me say clearly that Obi will not record the successes he recorded in the 2023 general election. That is because he has squandered his goodwill, human capital, resources, and mismanaged all the gains he had in 2023,” Abure said.

The former LP chairman explained that his camp’s political decision would partly depend on the outcome of a pending Supreme Court case involving his group and the party’s current leadership.

He, however, said he would consult his supporters and consider offers from interested presidential candidates if the apex court failed to deliver its judgment before the end of November.

“As for me, we are waiting for the Supreme Court to decide our case, and if the judgment is not coming before the end of this November, we will rationalise the offer of whoever wants our support,” he said.

Abure added that any candidate seeking their support must align with their interests and ideology and possess the political appeal to attract voters.

“However, it must tally with our interest and ideology, and he must be a sellable candidate. Once these are settled, our faces will be everywhere. I am talking about the same faces that took Peter Obi everywhere in 2023,” he said.

He maintained that he was not currently negotiating with any presidential candidate but ruled out supporting the NDC because of Obi’s presence in the party.

“The NDC is not included. I don’t see any reason to support Peter Obi again. I will not. And I am saying this with conviction and without any fear of contradiction. However, as of now, I am not in talks with any candidate yet. This is because it’s not just about me. It’s also about my followers and their interests,” Abure stated.

He also questioned Obi’s leadership capacity, arguing that his conduct during his time in the Labour Party had raised concerns about his ability to lead the country.

According to Abure, Obi enjoyed greater freedom and political leverage under his leadership of the LP than he currently has in the NDC.

“Obi’s behaviour in the Labour Party is now what people are using to assess if he can truly lead the country. This is because if you can’t lead a micro, there is no way you can lead a macro,” he said.

Abure further claimed that NDC National Leader and former Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Seriake Dickson, was firmly in control of the party and was unwilling to relinquish its leadership.

The political disagreement between Abure, Obi and Abia State Governor Alex Otti dates back to September 2024, when the Labour Party appointed Nenadi Usman as chairperson of its caretaker committee.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) subsequently recognised the committee, which also secured backing through court rulings, including a Court of Appeal judgment dismissing Abure’s attempt to overturn his removal as national chairman.

In April 2026, the party formally elected Usman as its substantive national chairperson.