The Labour Party’s National Publicity Secretary and member of the Julius Abure-led executive, Mr. Abayomi Arabambi, has weighed in on the crisis currently rocking the party, offering strong opinions on its root causes, key players involved, and the internal struggle threatening its unity and structure.
Speaking on this week’s edition of the Mic on Podcast with Seun Okinbaloye, Arabambi alleged that the crisis stemmed from betrayal within the party, accusing high-profile figures like Peter Obi and Governor Alex Otti of plotting to hijack the Labour Party after benefiting from its platform.
“Peter Obi, Alex Otti, and others are power grabbers. They are rebels trying to make use of the Labour Party as a platform to destabilize or promote rebellion in Nigeria. The governor of Abia State (Alex Otti) is the chief promoter of disunity in the Labour Party.”
Reaffirming his loyalty to Julius Abure, who he insisted remains the authentic National Chairman, Arabambi criticized those who joined the party ahead of the 2023 elections, claiming they have now turned their backs on the very structure that elevated them.
“We had senators (from our party) that paid N500,000 out of their N6.5 million (for nomination and expression of interest form), but they are riding a jeep and thought they could insult the party’s leadership! Most of them weren’t even part of the last eleven (11) in their teams (the political parties they came from).”
Meanwhile, Arabambi also responded to rumours about his involvement with the All Progressives Congress (APC) in destabilising the Labour Party, strongly denying any such connection. He asserted that his actions were solely motivated by loyalty to the party and its leadership, dismissing the claims as baseless. “I am not sponsored by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to destabilize the Labour Party.”
The Labour Party spokesperson also took issue with the formation of the Nenadi Usman-led caretaker committee, calling it unconstitutional and citing the party’s commitment to democracy.
“We are going to court after the Supreme Court judgment! There is no basis for a caretaker committee in the constitution of Nigeria. This is a constitutional matter. The (Nigerian) constitution only provides for democratically elected officers at the party level. What they did during (their acclaimed NEC meeting) at Transcorp Hotel was nothing but a yam festival.”
While he concluded by asserting that the fight against those seeking to destabilize the Labour Party would continue, Arabambi, who vowed that the Abure-led leadership would not back down, reiterated his stance on peace within the party, declaring further that the only way forward is for the faction led by Nenadi Usman to adhere to the Labour Party’s constitution.
Watch full clip below.