The immediate past National Chairman of the Labour Party, Julius Abure, has ruled out supporting Peter Obi in the 2027 presidential election, declaring his readiness to align with President Bola Tinubu or former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.

Abure said his decision would depend on the outcome of a pending Supreme Court case over the Labour Party’s leadership, as well as his political interests, ideology and the acceptability of the candidate.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with The PUNCH, the former party chairman said he would consult his supporters and consider offers from interested presidential candidates if the court failed to deliver its judgment before the end of November.

“We are open to working with any of the major candidates,” Abure said, adding that he would not support Obi in the next presidential election.

He stressed that any political alliance must reflect his group’s interests and ideology, with the candidate considered sufficiently acceptable to voters.

Abure vows to mobilise supporters against Obi

Abure also threatened to mobilise his supporters against Obi, accusing the former Anambra State governor of squandering the goodwill, resources and political structure that contributed to his strong performance in the 2023 presidential election.

He claimed that Obi and Abia State Governor Alex Otti undermined the Labour Party’s leadership and dismantled its organisational structure from the ward level to the national level.

Abure alleged that the party’s leadership crisis was worsened by the establishment of a parallel National Working Committee in Owerri.

The dispute followed disagreements over the party’s national convention and the control of its organisational structure. While Abure accused Obi and Otti of undermining his leadership, Obi’s allies argued that Abure had failed to honour an agreement for an inclusive convention.

The disagreement eventually widened the rift between Obi and the Abure-led faction, prompting the former presidential candidate to pursue a different political platform.

Abure questions Obi’s leadership credentials

The former Labour Party chairman argued that Obi’s handling of the party crisis raised questions about his ability to lead Nigeria.

He said Obi had lost the political goodwill and campaign machinery that helped him secure more than six million votes in the 2023 presidential election.

Abure also criticised Obi’s movement from the Labour Party to the African Democratic Congress before joining the Nigeria Democratic Congress, alleging that the former governor had struggled to secure his desired political position in previous parties.

He further claimed that Obi would not enjoy the same freedom and influence in the NDC that he had under his leadership at the Labour Party.

Abure said NDC national leader, Senator Seriake Dickson, remained firmly in control of the party and was determined to prevent a repeat of the Labour Party leadership crisis.

NDC, Obi’s camp dismiss Abure

The NDC Presidential Campaign Council spokesperson, Constance Ikokwu, dismissed Abure’s comments, saying Obi was focused on the 2027 presidential campaign.

Ikokwu said the former governor was concentrating on building a national movement ahead of the election.

She wished Abure well in his political activities, adding that the NDC was focused on its campaign priorities.

Similarly, Obi’s media aide, Idris Zekeri, said the campaign had moved on from Abure and was concentrating on the forthcoming election.

Zekeri urged Nigerians who believed in equity, justice, fairness, competence and compassion to support Obi.

He described Abure’s decision as a personal choice, arguing that the former chairman was acting out of grievances rather than national interest.

However, he acknowledged that Nigerians were free to support different candidates as part of the democratic process.

Abure maintained that he was not currently negotiating with any presidential candidate and would consult his supporters before deciding on a political alliance.