The Julius Abure-led faction of the Labour Party has launched a scathing attack on its 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, accusing him of deepening internal party divisions and betraying the party’s cause ahead of the August 16, 2025, bye-elections.
In a strongly worded statement issued on Friday and signed by Abure himself, the faction described Obi as an “Uber politician” — a restless political figure allegedly unwilling to commit to a consistent platform — and branded his latest political move as “misleading, mischievous, and delusional.”
The remarks came in response to Obi’s Thursday directive urging his supporters — popularly known as the *Obidient* movement — to vote for African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidates in states where bye-elections will be held. Obi cited the Labour Party’s absence from the ballot, which he attributed to unresolved internal crises, as the reason for his endorsement of ADC.
“Kindly note that because the Labour Party has no recognised candidates by INEC due to the internal crisis, I humbly urge every member of Obidient and COPDEM families to go out and vote for the coalition political party, African Democratic Congress in their respective states,” Obi stated.
Abure, however, urged party loyalists to ignore Obi’s call, insisting that Labour Party candidates were, in fact, on the ballot. He accused Obi of deliberately undermining the party’s electoral chances.
> “It is unfortunate that Obi has turned himself into an irony and a paradox in the Nigerian political space. He is now reputed to have elevated subterfuge in the game of politics and has, of late, been crying wolf where there is none,” Abure said.
The statement accused Obi of playing a double game in Nigerian politics by associating with multiple parties while pursuing his ambition to “preside over Nigeria.” Abure also alleged that Obi was directly responsible for the Labour Party’s internal strife, pointing to a September 4, 2024, “illegal expanded stakeholders meeting” in Umuahia — co-hosted with Abia State Governor Alex Otti — as a turning point in the crisis.
According to Abure, Obi has co-financed factional activities, staged protests against his own party, and sought to “control the soul” of the Labour Party at all costs.
“This is why we have maintained that Peter Obi lacks the competence, character and capacity to actualise the vision of a new Nigeria,” Abure stated, adding that the party has nonetheless taken all legal steps to ensure participation in the bye-election.
The Abure faction urged members to “remain focused” and vote exclusively for Labour Party candidates, dismissing Obi’s claim that the party has no representation in the upcoming polls.
“Nigerians have come to know who Peter Obi really is,” the statement concluded.
The latest exchange underscores the deepening rift within the Labour Party, a party once unified behind Obi’s 2023 presidential bid but now divided along bitter factional lines, with each side accusing the other of betrayal and political sabotage.
