Julius Abure, immediate past national chairman of the Labour Party (LP), has predicted that Peter Obi will not replicate his electoral success in the 2023 general election, accusing the former Anambra State governor of squandering the goodwill and political capital he built at the time.
Gatekeepers News reports that Abure also ruled out supporting the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in the 2027 presidential election because of Obi’s presence in the party, saying his political camp would consider other candidates whose interests and ideology align with theirs.
He made the remarks during an interview with Punch on Sunday, adding that his next political move would depend partly on the outcome of a pending Supreme Court case involving his faction and the current LP leadership.
“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,” he said.
The former LP chairman said he would consult his supporters and decide on a preferred presidential candidate if the Supreme 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.
He added that any candidate seeking his group’s backing must be politically attractive and share its interests and ideology.
“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,” Abure said.
Abure rejects support for NDC
Abure maintained that he had yet to negotiate with any presidential candidate but insisted that the NDC was not an option for his group because Obi was its presidential candidate.
“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,” he said.
He explained that his political decision would not be based solely on his personal preference but would also reflect the interests of his supporters.
“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,” he added.
The former LP chairman also questioned Obi’s leadership capacity, arguing that his experience within the Labour Party had influenced public perception of his ability to lead the country.
“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,” Abure said.
He further contrasted the political freedom Obi allegedly enjoyed under his leadership in the Labour Party with his current position in the NDC, where he claimed Senator Seriake Dickson was firmly in control.
“No way! Let Obi compare the freedom and leverage he enjoyed under our leadership to what he is experiencing in the NDC; he already knows the difference. You can see that Senator Dickson is fully in charge and he’s not giving up the party’s leadership,” he said.
Abure’s rift with Obi, Otti
Abure’s disagreement with Obi and Abia State Governor Alex Otti dates back to September 2024, when the Labour Party appointed Nenadi Usman to head a caretaker committee.
The committee was subsequently recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and received backing from court decisions, including a Court of Appeal judgment dismissing Abure’s attempt to overturn his removal as the party’s national chairman.
In April 2026, the party formally elected Usman as its substantive national chairperson.
