Julius Abure, the immediate past national chairman of the Labour Party, stated that he will not support the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in the 2027 general election because its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has squandered the goodwill, human capital, and resources he enjoyed during the 2023 election buildup.
Abure expressed his views during an interview with Punch on Sunday, noting that his camp remains open to supporting any alternative presidential candidate and party whose interests and ideology align with theirs ahead of the 2027 polls. He asserted that Obi would not replicate his 2023 successes due to mismanaged gains.
According to Abure, his camp’s final endorsement depends on the outcome of a pending Supreme Court case involving his faction and the current leadership of the Labour Party. If the court fails to deliver judgment by the end of November, he plans to consult supporters and evaluate offers from interested parties.
“As for me, we are waiting for the Supreme Court to decide our case, and if the judgment is not coming before the end of this November, we will rationalise the offer of whoever wants our support,” he said.
He stressed that any prospective candidate must share their ideological stance and remain sellable. Furthermore, he confirmed that the Nigeria Democratic Congress is excluded from consideration due to Obi’s presence, though he is not yet in formal talks with other candidates.
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“The NDC is not included. I don’t see any reason to support Peter Obi again. I will not. And I am saying this with conviction and without any fear of contradiction. However, as of now, I am not in talks with any candidate yet. This is because it’s not just about me. It’s also about my followers and their interests,” he said.
Abure criticised Obi’s past conduct within the Labour Party as a benchmark for assessing his national leadership capacity, arguing that failure in micro-management precludes macro-level success. He claimed Obi lacks the freedom and leverage in the Nigeria Democratic Congress that he previously enjoyed under his leadership.
“Obi’s behaviour in the Labour Party is now what people are using to assess if he can truly lead the country. This is because if you can’t lead a micro, there is no way you can lead a macro,” he said. “No way! Let Obi compare the freedom and leverage he enjoyed under our leadership to what he is experiencing in the NDC; he already knows the difference. You can see that Senator Dickson is fully in charge and he’s not giving up the party’s leadership.”
The rift between Abure, Obi, and Abia State Governor Alex Otti intensified in September 2024 after the Labour Party appointed Nenadi Usman to chair a caretaker committee. This committee received backing from court rulings and the Independent National Electoral Commission, leading to Usman’s formal election as substantive national chairperson in April 2026.
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Athekame Kenneth is a politics, economy, and finance reporter whose work is anchored in sharp investigative storytelling. He brings analytical depth to every piece, drawing on a strong academic foundation that includes a degree in Economics, an MBA in International Trade, and a minor in Petroleum Economics from Lagos State University, Ojo. His reporting blends rigorous research with a keen eye for hidden truths, delivering stories that illuminate power, policy, and the forces shaping everyday lives.
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