A chieftain of the Labour Party loyal to the Julius Abure led faction, Obiora Ifoh, has accused the party’s former presidential candidate, Peter Obi, of abandoning democratic principles after the 2023 general election.
Speaking in an interview, Ifoh dismissed claims that the party regretted fielding Obi in the presidential race, explaining that he was selected based on the party’s ideological standards at the time.
According to him, Obi initially appeared to align with the party’s core values of social democracy, justice, and equal opportunity, which formed the foundation of the Labour Party’s campaign.
However, he said the relationship deteriorated after the election when Obi allegedly began pushing actions that contradicted democratic norms within the party.
Ifoh stated that the party expected Obi, as its flag bearer, to unite stakeholders after the polls, conduct a thorough review of the election, and build on the over six million votes recorded nationwide.
He added that party leaders and members stood firmly with Obi throughout the legal battles and campaign period, often at great personal risk, but were later shocked when he called for the dissolution of the party’s elected executive.
He alleged that Obi mobilised sympathetic lawmakers and the Abia State governor to forcefully remove the party leadership instead of following constitutional provisions.
Responding to claims that the crisis was fuelled by Obi’s refusal to release funds to party executives, Ifoh denied any such demand.
He said the party never requested money from Obi, noting that even during the campaign, Obi independently handled his finances and made no material donations to the party.
According to him, the Labour Party’s interest was never financial gain but the pursuit of governance that would benefit Nigerians under its ideological framework.
