The Labour Party has officially debunked widespread claims that its 2023 presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, was issued a 48-hour ultimatum to resign from the party over his recent involvement in coalition negotiations, including the unveiling of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Abuja.
In a press release signed by Ken Eluma Asogwa, Senior Special Assistant to Senator Nenadi Usman—the Acting National Chairman and head of the party’s National Caretaker Committee (NCC)—the party made it clear that no such ultimatum was issued and that Obi’s participation in coalition activities enjoys the full backing of the Labour Party leadership.
“Our attention has been drawn to false and misleading reports suggesting that Mr. Peter Obi has been ordered to quit the Labour Party due to his role in recent coalition discussions. These reports are entirely baseless and should be disregarded,” the statement read.
The Labour Party emphasized that on May 26, 2025, it publicly declared its full and unwavering support for Obi’s efforts to build a credible political coalition aimed at offering Nigerians a viable alternative to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), which it described as having “misruled” the country.
Reiterating its stance, the party stated:
“We wish to reaffirm that Mr. Peter Obi’s participation in the coalition activities, including the ADC unveiling, was done with the full knowledge, approval, and support of the Labour Party leadership.”
The statement further discredited those behind the ultimatum rumours, describing them as “political jesters” with no legitimate authority in the party. According to the NCC, these individuals had been expelled from the party and legally struck out by the Supreme Court of Nigeria due to persistent indiscipline and anti-party conduct.
“The individuals claiming to have issued an ultimatum to Mr. Obi are impostors and mischief-makers. They have been suspended from the party and are not recognized by the law or the Labour Party,” the release stated. “The current leadership under Senator Nenadi Usman is still in the process of cleaning up the disorder left behind by these discredited elements.”
The party urged the public and media outlets to verify information from authorized channels and to ignore distractions from elements it described as remnants of a past era of internal strife.
“For clarity,” the statement concluded, “the only legitimate and authoritative source of information regarding the official position of the Labour Party on any matter remains the office of Senator Nenadi Usman, Acting National Chairman of the Labour Party.”
This public clarification aims to reinforce party unity and dispel any doubts about Peter Obi’s standing within the Labour Party as efforts continue toward building a united political front ahead of the next general elections.
