By Eshiorameh Sebastian in Abuja
The Labour Party has petitioned Nigeria’s National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu to arrest Peter Obi, Joe Ajaero and other key figures of the party in what appears to be a fresh escalation of the crisis that has plagued the opposition party for over two years.
The petition was contained in an urgent communication obtained by Spear News on Tuesday night, where the Julius Abure-led faction of the party made startling allegations against its own former presidential candidate, Peter Obi and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President, Joe Ajaero, accusing them of plotting to destabilise the nation under the guise of a peaceful protest.
The letter, dated 29th July 2025 and signed by the party’s factional National Publicity Secretary, Arabambi Abayomi, described an elaborate scheme allegedly designed to “render Nigeria ungovernable” through what is being called the “One Million March Rally.”
According to the document, this planned demonstration “at the Labour Party’s national secretariat is anything but a legitimate protest, but rather a carefully orchestrated attempt to overthrow the government of President Bola Tinubu.”
“Credible intelligence from multiple sources confirms this gathering is a well-funded operation aimed at inciting mass civil disobedience,” the letter stated.
The Labour Party leadership claims to have evidence that the protest’s organisers intend to exploit current economic hardships to manipulate ordinary citizens into participating in what they describe as “nothing short of an attempted coup.”
The letter listed of prominent figures implicated in the alleged plot. Alongside Obi and Ajaero, the letter named Senator Ireti Kingibe, Prof. Theophilus Ndubuaku, Senator Victor Umeh and Dr. Tanko Yinusa as key conspirators.
The document suggested that these individuals have been coordinating their efforts while maintaining a facade of legitimate political activism.
Perhaps the most alarming claim in the letter concerns the alleged militarisation of the protest.
The Labour Party’s letter takes pains to distance the official party structure from the planned protest, stating categorically that the event has not been authorised by the legitimate party leadership.
“This is the work of rogue elements with a documented history of subversive activities,” the document asserts, drawing a clear line between what it described as the genuine Labour Party and those it accused of hijacking its name for destabilisation purposes.
In response to these perceived threats, the letter makes several urgent recommendations to security agencies. At the top of the list is the immediate arrest of Obi, Ajaero and their alleged co-conspirators.
“These individuals must be apprehended without delay and subjected to the full weight of the law,” the communication insists, describing their continued freedom as “an existential threat to national stability.”
Beyond arrests, the Labour Party proposes a comprehensive security response. This includes raids on suspected weapon storage locations, heightened surveillance in Abuja, and restrictions on movement to prevent what it calls “the infiltration of agitators.” The letter also requested for a media campaign to counter what it described as the “misinformation” being spread by the protest organisers.
When contacted by Spear News for his reaction to the allegations, Dr. Tanko Yunusa, one of the named individuals in the Labour Party’s petition, acknowledged receipt of our inquiry but had not provided a detailed response as at press time. “I will get back to you”, he told our correspondent during the brief telephone conversation, though no further communication had been received before publication deadline.
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