Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election, has spoken out against accusations made by the party’s national chairman, Julius Abure.

Abure made the allegations during a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting on Monday, September 9. He claimed that Peter Obi and the Governor of Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti, had plotted against him. According to Abure, the two leaders held a secret meeting with stakeholders in Umuahia, Abia State, where they chose former Minister of Finance, Mrs. Esther Nenadi Usman, to lead a 29-member caretaker committee. The goal of this committee was to address ongoing internal conflicts within the Labour Party.

In his response, Peter Obi, speaking through Comrade Ibrahim Umar, the spokesperson for Peter Obi Media Reach (POMR), expressed his disappointment with Abure’s statements. He argued that Abure’s comments do not accurately represent the current state of affairs within the party.

Obi also accused Abure of intentionally misleading the public and tarnishing his reputation by portraying him as a traitor.

He said; 

“I am disappointed, but not surprised, by the false accusations of betrayal labelled against our principal Mr. Peter Obi by Julius Abure, the Embattled national chairman of the party. It is clear that this is a politically motivated attempt to mislead the public.

“The stakeholders meeting of the LP held at Umuahia, on Wednesday, was meant to resolve the lingering leadership crisis and chart a way forward. The decision was not in any way personal.

“Therefore the Obidient Movement has stood in total solidarity with the actions and decisions of the stakeholders, which have always been guided by a commitment to unity, justice and transparency.

“Simply because he intervened for Justice? His (Abure) tenure ends in June, but he refused to leave the stage and also vowed that he was ready to fight. Who is he fighting? We understand his desperation for power, but it is high time for him to put the interest of the party over his personal interest. We will not engage in name-calling and character assassination. Instead, we call on Julius Abure to accept the outcome of the intervention by Mr Peter Obi and Gov Alex Otti which aimed to resolve any misunderstandings, and chart a way forward.”