Leaders of the Labour Party from the 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have expressed their disapproval of the verbal assaults by Dr. Abayomi Arabambi on Mr Peter Obi, the party’s presidential candidate in the previous election.
Arabambi, who is the spokesperson for the Lamidi Apapa-led faction of the Labour Party, has been criticized for his actions.
In a press conference, the party’s chairmen and secretaries, led by Muhammad Abdullahi Lawal, the zonal Vice chairman, expressed their displeasure at Arabambi’s verbal onslaught on Obi.
Speaking for the group, Lawal stated, “It’s deeply disappointing to witness a supposed party member launching baseless attacks and character defamation against our leader. While we value diverse views and critiques, it’s crucial that these critiques are constructive, respectful, and substantiated. Arabambi’s disparaging remarks against our leader, Mr. Peter Obi, are not just disrespectful, but also harmful to our party’s image and progress.
Despite numerous warnings and pleas, Dr. Arabambi has continued his disruptive behavior and relentless attacks on Peter Obi, even going as far as labeling him “a tribalistic bigot.” As representatives of the LP, we won’t tolerate such actions that compromise our party’s principles and values. Hence, we publicly dissociate ourselves from Dr. Arabambi and his offensive comments.
We urge Dr. Arabambi to stop his offensive remarks against Peter Obi. Such behavior is unacceptable and will not be tolerated within our party.
Following this, we reiterate our steadfast support for Peter Obi, who exemplifies the character and distinguished principles that define the Labour Party and our country’s promising future.
We stand with him, the Nigeria Labour Congress, the Obidient movement groups, and all other stakeholders dedicated to cleansing the party and maintaining its integrity.
He pointed out, “We want to clarify that there is no longer any trace of the so-called Apapa faction or Abure faction within our party. The former Apapa faction was created out of necessity due to Barrister Abure’s refusal to comply with a court order prohibiting him from acting as the national chairman.
This prompted proactive members like myself to align with Baba Apapa, who was then the Deputy National Chairman, as the acting National Chairman. However, for the sake of party unity and progress, we have collectively agreed today to dissolve these factions and move forward as a unified party.
As some of you might know, some of us were once close allies of Julius Abure. However, following a restraining order by the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, presided by Justice Hamza Muazu, on April 5th, 2023, where Barrister Abure and others were prohibited from presenting themselves as National officers of the party, we tried hard to make Barrister Julius Abure understand the implication of the said order and the need for him to respect the valid and existing court order but all efforts were in vain.
He added, “As devoted members of the party, we had no choice but to cut ties with him for the sake of our party.
We are deeply concerned about the serious allegations of financial mismanagement against Barrister Abure.
Any individual truly committed to the party’s welfare and integrity would have willingly stepped down from their position pending the outcome of investigations.
However, Barrister Abure’s failure to do so reveals his greed and lack of accountability. Furthermore, Barrister Abure’s claim to the position of National Chairman is illegitimate, as it originates from a supposed National Convention that was neither legitimate nor inclusive. A true leader respects democratic principles and ensures that all members of the party are adequately represented.
