‘Don’t repeat our mistake’ — Abure sends strong message to NDC over Peter Obi

Factional National Chairman of the Labour Party, Julius Abure, has cautioned the leadership of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, against what he described as conceding too much influence to former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi and his supporters within the party.

Abure made the remarks in a statement issued on June 8, 2026, while reacting to reports of disagreements over the allocation of elective positions within the NDC.

According to the Labour Party chairman, the refusal of the NDC leadership, led by Senator Seriake Dickson, to grant all political positions sought by Obi’s supporters was a decision he described as necessary based on the Labour Party’s experience during and after the 2023 general election.

Abure alleged that several political office holders who emerged on the Labour Party platform later turned against the party leadership rather than contributing to its growth.

“They say history usually repeats itself. Senator Dickson and Co have seen their trajectory and learnt from what happened to us,” Abure said.

According to him, many politicians who benefited from the Labour Party’s platform eventually aligned with Obi and became involved in disputes over the party’s leadership structure.

Abure claimed that the Labour Party leadership made significant sacrifices ahead of the 2023 elections, including accommodating the interests of Obi and many of his supporters.

“We only looked at his body language and obliged most of his supporters with tickets. Most of the tickets were given for free because we believed we were investing in those persons,” he stated.

Abure also accused some elected officials of backing efforts to challenge the party leadership after winning elections on the LP platform.

“All those elected under the party, Obi took them to fight the leadership of the party,” he said.

Abure argued that political parties should maintain a balance in the distribution of positions and influence among members in order to preserve internal stability.

“It is very good for Seriake Dickson not to have given Obi supporters all they needed in the NDC. He needed to bring his own people so that when the chips are down, he will also have people that will speak and defend him,” he added.

The Labour Party chairman also accused the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, of contributing to the leadership crisis that emerged within the party after the 2023 elections, alleging that some party leaders accepted claims regarding the expiration of the tenure of the party’s executives.

“The leaders, particularly Peter Obi and Alex Otti, decided to take over the leadership of the party,” Abure alleged.

He maintained that his comments were informed by questions from members of the public about how the Labour Party managed its relationship with Obi and his supporters during the 2022/2023 election period.

‘Don’t repeat our mistake’ — Abure sends strong message to NDC over Peter Obi