2027: ‘Don’t repeat our mistake’ – Abure sends strong message to Obi, NDC

Factional National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Julius Abure, has sent a pointed warning to the leadership of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) over what he described as the undue influence of former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, and his supporters within the party.

In a statement issued on June 8, 2026, Abure reacted to reports of disagreements within the NDC over the allocation of elective positions, urging the party to avoid mistakes he said had undermined LP after the 2023 general elections.

Abure alleged that several political office holders who benefited from the Labour Party platform later turned against the party leadership instead of advancing its growth. “They say history usually repeats itself. Senator Seriake Dickson and Co have seen their trajectory and learned from what happened to us,” he said.

According to Abure, many politicians who rose through the Labour Party eventually aligned with Obi, contributing to internal disputes over party leadership. He claimed LP made significant sacrifices ahead of the 2023 polls, including handing out tickets to most of Obi’s supporters largely for free. “We only looked at his body language and obliged most of his supporters with tickets. Most of the tickets were given for free because we believed we were investing in those persons,” Abure stated.

He also accused some elected officials of turning against the party leadership after securing office on the LP platform. “All those elected under the party, Obi took them to fight the leadership of the party,” he said.

Abure argued that political parties must maintain a balance in distributing positions and influence to ensure internal stability. “It is very good for Seriake Dickson not to have given Obi supporters all they needed in the NDC. He needed to bring his own people so that when the chips are down, he will also have people that will speak and defend him,” he added.

The LP chairman also pointed fingers at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), alleging it contributed to LP’s leadership crisis after the 2023 elections by supporting claims over the expiration of party executives’ tenures. “The leaders, particularly Peter Obi and Alex Otti, decided to take over the leadership of the party,” Abure claimed.