‘Obi got approval to join coalition’, Nenadi Usman hits back at Abure faction

Acting National Chairman of Labour Party, Senator Nenadi Usman, has tackled the Julius Abure faction of the party for attacking Peter Obi over his alliance with the collation seeking to unseat President Bola Tinubu in 2027. The Abure-led faction of the party had given Obi, Presidential Candidate of Labour Party in the last election,  48 […]

Acting National Chairman of Labour Party, Senator Nenadi Usman, has tackled the Julius Abure faction of the party for attacking Peter Obi over his alliance with the collation seeking to unseat President Bola Tinubu in 2027.

The Abure-led faction of the party had given Obi, Presidential Candidate of Labour Party in the last election,  48 hours to resign his membership of the party over his  coalition move.

The faction had said Obi’s association with former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, ex-governors Nasir El-Rufai and Rotimi Amaechi at the unveiling of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Abuja as part of a coalition seeking to dislodge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), amounts to anti-party activity

He was also accused of holding secret meetings with members of the party to convince them to defect.

“Peter Gregory Obi has received a 48-hour ultimatum to formally resign his membership of the Labour Party, having officially joined the coalition.

“The Labour Party is not part of this arrangement and disassociates itself from its agenda,” the faction’s spokesman, Obiora Ifoh, said in the statement.

However, the Usman-led leadership dismissed the ultimatum as baseless, describing Abure’s group as political impostors without legal standing.

In a counter statement issued by her aide, Ken Asogwa, Senator Usman reaffirmed the party’s endorsement of Obi’s coalition move.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the leadership of the Labour Party, on May 26, 2025, publicly declared its full support for Mr. Obi’s involvement in the coalition efforts aimed at creating a robust political alternative to rescue Nigeria from the disastrous misrule of the APC. That position has not changed,” the statement said.

It further claimed that Abure and his allies had been removed from office by the Supreme Court and suspended from the party over acts of indiscipline and disloyalty.

“It is the remnants of the disorder and mess left behind by these impostors that the current leadership under Senator Nenadi Usman continues to clean.

“Therefore, members of the public, and especially the media, are urged to disregard the distractions and mischief from these discredited elements,” the statement added.

Other opposition leaders present at the coalition unveiling were former Senate President David Mark and ex-Osun governor Rauf Aregbesola who were both named interim chairman and secretary respectively.

Also in attendance were key figures such as Dino Melaye, Dele Momodu, Emeka Ihedioha, Sadique Abubakar, and Ireti Kingibe among others.