The Labour Party (LP) has formally apologized to Nigerians for presenting Mr. Peter Obi as its presidential candidate in the 2023 election, describing the decision as its “greatest political mistake.”
The apology came in a release signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, on Wednesday, which served as both a reaction to Obi’s recent defection to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and a sweeping indictment of his political influence.
The statement framed Obi’s departure not as a loss, but as a liberation. “The party is finally liberated by this defection and as Party leaders, we count it as a blessing,” Ifoh declared. He revealed that the party had “patiently waited for this day,” having effectively parted ways with Obi and his faction in the National Assembly since September 2024.
The LP leadership traced the party’s internal crisis directly to Peter Obi and the Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, accusing them of sponsoring an “insurrection” against the national chairman, Julius Abure. The party expressed surprise that Governor Otti, though suspended, had not followed his “political leader” out of the door.
The statement also took aim at the ceremony marking Obi’s defection in Enugu, dismissing it as a “charade” boycotted by prominent regional institutions and attended only by “political spent forces.” It issued a stark warning about Obi’s dwindling appeal, stating, “He has clearly lost the charm that had endeared him to the people prior 2023.”
In one of its most politically charged assertions, the Labour Party linked the perceived marginalization of Nigeria’s Southeast region in President Bola Tinubu’s administration to the zone’s support for Obi in the last election.
“While some states of the federation boast as much as five ministers, the entire states in the South East was given a paltry five ministerial slot,” the statement noted, questioning if the region would “repeat the same political harakiri again.”
Concluding with a contrite tone, the party’s leadership made an unprecedented plea: “Finally, we urge Nigerians to watch out for the Labour Party. 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 signifies a definitive and acrimonious end to the alliance that propelled the Labour Party into national prominence during the 2023 elections, leaving it to rebuild its identity while openly repudiating the candidate who was once its flagship.
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