By Our Reporters
A major schism within Nigeria’s opposition Labour Party (LP) ranks widened on Wednesday as loyalists of former presidential candidate Peter Obi endorsed his formal defection to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), while simultaneously declaring a political war to “reclaim” the Labour Party (LP) from the faction led by its National Chairman, Julius Abure.
The development, marking the most significant realignment since the 2023 elections, has effectively split the party into three distinct camps: one following Obi to the ADC, another led by Abia State Governor Alex Otti and Senator Nenadi Usman vowing to salvage the LP from within, and a third, the Abure-led national executive, which has launched a scathing attack on Obi, even asking Nigerians for “forgiveness” for fielding him as its candidate.
Mr. Obi’s much-anticipated move to the ADC was formalised at a ceremony in Enugu on Wednesday, December 31st. In a swift and coordinated response, a faction of the Labour Party identifying as the “Obi Loyalists” and operating under the interim leadership of Senator Nenadi Usman, issued a press release welcoming the defection.
The statement, signed by Ken Eluma Asogwa, Senior Special Adviser on Media to Senator Usman, described Obi’s move as a strategic coalition move that had received the party’s “full blessings” as far back as May 2025.
It sought to reassure party members nationwide, asserting that the LP’s support for Obi’s engagement with the ADC remained intact.
“The leadership of the Labour Party continues its determined struggle to reclaim the party from the stranglehold of entrenched interests bent on foisting a one-party system on our body politic,” the statement read, in a clear indictment of the Abure leadership. It promised that statutory party organs would soon convene to “chart a fresh and sustainable course for the party.”
This faction positioned itself as the custodian of the LP’s original ideals, promising a “credible and people-centred alternative” to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) by 2027 under Senator Usman’s “able and visionary leadership.”
Complicating the landscape is the stance of Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, a powerful figure within the party whose electoral success in 2023 was a rare bright spot for the LP.
In a pointed declaration on Tuesday, Governor Otti severed his public political alignment with Obi’s national movement while affirming his commitment to the Labour Party.
“I joined the Labour Party before Peter Obi,” Otti stated emphatically in Umuahia. “He has communicated to me that he is leaving the Labour Party. So, I have given him my blessings. I will remain in the Labour Party. I will continue the struggle to reclaim the Labour Party. That’s the party that brought me to power.”
Otti framed his mission as an internal salvage operation, suggesting departure would be a last resort. “I will fight, and if we do not succeed, that is when we will begin to consider other options,” he said.
His statement creates a third force within the imbroglio: a governor-led effort to retake the party structure, distinct from both the Obi exodus and the Abure executive.
Abure Faction’s Vitriolic Farewell: “Party Finally Liberated”
The reaction from the Julius Abure-led national working committee was one of unbridled hostility, signalling a relationship damaged beyond repair. In a statement released on Wednesday by National Publicity Secretary Obiora Ifoh, the faction did not merely accept Obi’s departure but celebrated it with astonishing vitriol.
“Labour Party finally liberated by Peter Obi’s defection,” the statement’s headline declared. It proceeded to label Obi’s Enugu event a “charade” boycotted by prominent institutions and attended by “political spent forces.”
In a move unprecedented in Nigerian political discourse, the party’s own leadership apologised for its former standard-bearer.
“We gave Nigerians a candidate we thought was good for the nation in 2023, but time has since proved that we made the greatest political mistake. We plead for forgiveness from Nigerians,” the statement read, a shocking repudiation of the candidate who garnered over six million votes for the party and ignited the ‘Obidient’ movement.
The Abure faction also dragged Governor Otti into the fray, accusing him and Obi of sponsoring “insurrection” against its leadership and expressing surprise that Otti had not followed Obi out. “It is still not too late for him to follow his political leader,” the statement taunted.
Analysis: A House Divided, Opposition in Disarray
The unfolding crisis presents a multifaceted threat to the coherence of Nigeria’s opposition. Peter Obi’s move to the ADC, while gaining a new platform, risks fragmenting his ‘Obidient’ support base and distancing him from the successful governance platform of Governor Otti in Abia.
Governor Otti’s vow to “reclaim” the LP sets him on a direct collision course with Abure’s entrenched national executive, promising protracted legal and political battles over the party’s soul and its prized asset—the governorship of Abia State.
Meanwhile, the Abure faction’s scorched-earth rhetoric, particularly its apology for Obi, appears designed to permanently burn bridges. However, it also raises questions about the faction’s viability and moral authority, having disowned its most popular figure.
Political analysts suggest this tripartite split weakens the overall challenge to the ruling APC ahead of the 2027 elections. The Labour Party, once hailed as a vibrant third force, is now a battlefield. The ADC, while gaining a high-profile recruit, must now integrate a massive, passionate movement into its existing structure—a task fraught with potential for internal conflict.
The Road to 2027
As 2026 begins, Nigeria’s opposition landscape is in profound flux. Peter Obi is betting on the ADC as a more pliable vehicle for his presidential ambition. Alex Otti is betting he can win a civil war and rebuild the LP from its Abia stronghold. Julius Abure is betting his party machinery can survive and redefine itself after jettisoning its biggest star.
All three bets carry immense risk. The only certainty is that the path to the 2027 elections has become exponentially more complex, with the hopes of millions of voters for a viable alternative now hanging in the balance of this bitter and very public divorce. The coming months will be consumed by court cases, membership drives, and a fierce struggle for the legacy—and the electoral value—of what was once the Labour Party.
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