A chieftain of the Labour Party (LP) has called on security agencies to arrest and prosecute the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, accusing him of making inflammatory statements that threaten the safety and lives of electoral officials across the country.
Dr. Arabambi Abayomi, the National Vice Chairman of the Labour Party for the South West, made the call while addressing a press conference in Abuja on Thursday.
He alleged that Obi’s recent remark about “counting those who refuse to count our votes” constitutes incitement to violence and poses an imminent danger to the peace and stability of Nigeria.
Drawing on historical parallels, Dr. Arabambi warned that ambiguous but menacing language from political leaders has often preceded mass violence, citing the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda and the 2007-2008 post-election violence in Kenya as sobering examples.
“History offers sobering lessons on the power of political speech to ignite violence. When leaders wield ambiguous but menacing language against institutions or individuals, the consequences are rarely abstract. They are counted in blood,” Dr. Arabambi told journalists.
He argued that Obi’s statement, made publicly and repeated on multiple platforms, crosses the line from legitimate political discourse into outright incitement.
Dr. Arabambi was specifically referencing a recent declaration by Peter Obi in which he said: “If you do not count our votes, we will count you among those who destroy our democracy.”
The LP chieftain argued that the vagueness of the threat is precisely what makes it dangerous, as it allows the former governor’s millions of followers to interpret “counting” in whatever violent terms they see fit.
“In any nation governed by the rule of law, an individual who leverages a fervent, multi-million-strong following to issue such a warning against electoral officials would be subject to immediate legal scrutiny. The state’s primary duty would be to intervene preemptively, detaining the individual for questioning before such volatile language can manifest into tangible action,” Dr. Arabambi stated.
He further alleged that Obi has spent years painting Nigeria as a failed state before international audiences while simultaneously building his personal fortune within the same system he condemns.
“Obi has taken this grievance to the international community. He has stood before foreign audiences and painted Nigeria as a country beyond redemption, as a place where democracy is dead and elections are a farce. He has done this while continuing to build his fortune here, while his businesses expand and his bank account grows, while the same Nigeria he condemns makes him wealthier by the day,” he said.
Allegations of Political Double Game
The LP Vice Chairman also accused Obi of playing a “double game” with political parties, maintaining a foothold in the Labour Party while using proxies to support the African Democratic Congress (ADC)—all in an effort to maintain plausible deniability while his followers do the bidding.
“Peter Obi is playing a double game with political parties that reveals his true intentions. He has not resigned his Labour Party membership, even though everyone knows that Labour Party under Abure is where his strongest ties remain. At the same time, he is working through proxies like Alex Otti and others to position himself for another Labour Party presidential ticket, using every back channel available,” Dr. Arabambi alleged.
He claimed that while Obi’s followers poured their energy into supporting the ADC candidate in Abuja, believing that was where Obi wanted them to go, Obi himself will not fully commit to ADC or become a card-carrying member.
“He keeps one foot in each camp, always maintaining deniability, always able to claim he was not really involved when things go wrong,” he said.
Edo State Incident Cited
Dr. Arabambi also addressed a recent incident involving the ADC in Edo State, which he claimed was not orchestrated by Governor Monday Okpebholo but rather served as “a dress rehearsal of impending Genocide and War” being planned by Peter Obi.
He referenced a meeting scheduled at the residence of Chief Odigie Oyegun, a national leader of the ADC, which descended into chaos when founding members of the party were excluded. The situation reportedly escalated into a gun duel, and property was attacked by unidentified hoodlums.
“It’s an embarrassment that Obidient political terrorists are trying to overthrow the structures of ADC where a lots of incompetence, inconsequential and irresponsible hermaphrodites will now have full control to carry out the political insurrection,” Dr. Arabambi charged.
He specifically named Kenneth Okonkwo and Tanko Yunusa as individuals who might “destroy ADC’s political image more earlier than expected” through their association with the Obidient movement.
Call for Immediate Arrest
The LP chieftain concluded his remarks with a direct appeal to law enforcement agencies, urging them to act before the situation escalates further.
“The authorities have a duty here. Not a political duty, not a partisan duty, but a fundamental duty to protect the peace and security of the nation. When a man with millions of followers threatens election officials, when he creates an atmosphere of intimidation around the electoral process, when he uses language that has historically preceded violence in every country where such language has been used, the authorities must act,” he said.
“Arrest Peter Obi. Charge him with incitement. Investigate whether his words have already contributed to violence against election workers. Make it clear that in Nigeria, you cannot threaten the people who run our democracy and simply walk away.”
He emphasized that this is not about silencing opposition but about drawing a line that every politician must respect.
“You can criticize elections. You can challenge results in court. You can campaign against the government. What you cannot do is tell your followers that election workers who displease you will be counted, and then pretend you meant something harmless,” Dr. Arabambi stated.
“Peter Obi knows what he meant. His followers know what he meant. The only people pretending not to know are those who benefit from the ambiguity.”
He demanded that Obi be made to explain his statement under oath before a judge, adding, “If he has a good explanation, let him give it in court. If he does not, let him face the penalty that the law provides. That is how democracy works. That is how the rule of law works. That is how a country protects itself from men who would burn it down to rule the ashes.”
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