The Labour Party has announced plans to expel its former presidential candidate, Peter Obi, over his involvement in an opposition coalition aiming to unseat President Bola Tinubu.
Speaking during a live appearance on The Morning Brief on Channels Television, Labour Party chieftain Abayomi Arabambi described Obi’s continued engagement with the coalition while still claiming Labour Party membership as “unconstitutional” and “unacceptable.”
“We are convening a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting where he [Obi] will be expelled. It is unconstitutional for anyone to belong to two political parties at once. They’ve drawn him to their side, and that’s where he’ll remain,” Arabambi declared.
He added that the NEC would recommend Obi’s expulsion, which the party would ratify at its next convention, in line with its constitution.
“Obi is no longer a member of our party. He cannot claim to be Labour while associating with what we call the ‘Yahoo Yahoo coalition’. That will not be tolerated,” Arabambi stated firmly.
In a pointed critique of public perception, Arabambi said, “Let’s correct this myth—Peter Obi didn’t make the Labour Party; the Labour Party made him. His rise was circumstantial—fuelled by the #EndSARS movement and widespread frustration with previous governments.”
He asserted that the party’s integrity and structure enabled Obi’s political prominence during the 2023 elections. “It’s our goodwill he benefited from, not the other way around. He triggered the crisis in the party.”
Arabambi also accused Obi of authoritarian tendencies, suggesting he was unfit to lead. “If he’s willing to strong-arm party members to bend to his will, then he’s clearly unfit to guide the party,” he said.
He reaffirmed the Labour Party’s leadership structure, stating, “We have no factions in Labour. There’s one leadership—under Julius Abure as our national chairman.”
Arabambi’s comments follow a 48-hour ultimatum issued by the Abure-led faction, asking Obi to resign from the party over his “bromance” with the coalition.
In a July 3 statement, Labour Party spokesperson Obiora Ifoh wrote: “Labour Party is not part of the coalition. Any member involved must resign within 48 hours. We will not tolerate dual loyalties or deceptive alignments.”
He accused the coalition of being a gathering of opportunists seeking to regain political relevance.
The opposition coalition, which met on July 2 in Abuja, adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as its political platform ahead of the 2027 elections. It named former Senate President David Mark as interim national chairman and former Osun governor Rauf Aregbesola as secretary.
The meeting drew several high-profile figures including Atiku Abubakar, Nasir El-Rufai, Rotimi Amaechi, Dino Melaye, Dele Momodu, Gabriel Suswam, Ireti Kingibe, Emeka Ihedioha, and Sadique Abubakar—alongside Peter Obi.