The Labour Party’s National Publicity Secretary, Abayomi Arabambi, has stirred fresh political debate after declaring that former presidential candidate Peter Obi will not be considered for the party’s ticket in the upcoming 2027 general elections. His remarks have drawn attention to growing tensions within the party and have further deepened discussions about Obi’s future political ambitions.
Arabambi, speaking on Channels Television’s Lunchtime Politics on Monday, emphasized that the Labour Party has the structure, capacity, and political will to thrive without Obi. According to him, the party’s unexpected momentum in 2023 did not stem from Obi’s political clout alone but from the energy of the #EndSARS movement and widespread disillusionment with former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration. He described Obi as simply a beneficiary of the timing and situation rather than the sole force behind the party’s rise.
“We are going to do our 2027 without Peter Obi; he will not have our ticket,” Arabambi boldly stated during the live interview. He further argued that Obi’s influence in 2023 has been overstated by his supporters, stressing that Labour Party is a growing institution capable of moving forward without depending on one individual.
His comments followed recent controversy surrounding Obi’s role in the August by-elections, where the former Anambra State governor openly encouraged his supporters to cast their votes for candidates of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in areas where Labour Party did not present candidates. While Obi defended his stance as a pragmatic political decision, Labour Party leadership accused him of spreading “false” information and engaging in “anti-party” activities, thereby deepening the cracks within the party’s ranks.
Arabambi went further to criticize the alignment of the LP’s Acting National Chairperson, Nenadi Usman, and social activist Aisha Yesufu with Obi, alleging that they were undermining the unity of the party. He vowed that disciplinary measures would be introduced to weed out what he described as “elements of political extremism” that do not align with the party’s core agenda. “Our plan is to get rid of these elements. We don’t want them in Labour Party. Now that they said they are going to ADC, we wish them well,” he added.
In a direct challenge to Obi, Arabambi urged him to formally announce his departure from the Labour Party if he believed his popularity was strong enough to replicate the over seven million votes he polled during the 2023 presidential election. He argued that without the Labour Party structure and the wave of social discontent that fueled the campaign, Obi’s political fortunes might not carry the same weight in 2027.
“The momentum in 2023 was not because of Peter Obi, but because of EndSARS,” Arabambi reiterated. “Obi only found Labour Party as a vehicle that could provide change at that time, and he was just opportuned to be the head.”
These statements have sparked renewed debates within political circles about Obi’s next moves, the internal struggles within the Labour Party, and the broader question of whether the opposition can maintain its unity ahead of 2027. Observers suggest that the deepening rift could either weaken the LP or push Obi towards seeking another platform for his presidential ambition.