The internal crisis rocking the Labour Party has taken a fresh turn as a former Director-General of the party’s Presidential Campaign Council, Mr Akin Osuntokun, has officially defected to the African Democratic Congress.
Osuntokun, a former Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria, confirmed his exit from the Labour Party on Wednesday in Lagos, blaming what he described as entrenched internal sabotage and a loss of ideological direction within the party.
According to him, the current leadership of the Labour Party has abandoned its founding ideals, allowing narrow personal interests to override national considerations. He said this development had weakened the party’s credibility and made it unattractive to individuals genuinely committed to Nigeria’s political and economic renewal.
Osuntokun revealed that the political bloc he joined the Labour Party with, popularly known as the Peter Obi group, has since left the party, making his own decision to exit unavoidable. He said remaining in the party under the present circumstances would amount to endorsing instability and confusion.
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He also pointed to the protracted leadership crisis within the Labour Party, citing the court declaration of Senator Nenadi Usman as national chairman and the removal of the Julius Abure-led National Working Committee. According to him, the decision by the Abure faction to appeal the judgment has further plunged the party into uncertainty, discouraging serious political engagement.
Describing the African Democratic Congress as the most credible political platform available at the moment, Osuntokun said the party has the capacity to emerge as a strong opposition force capable of checking what he warned could become a drift toward one-party dominance in Nigeria.
He explained that his move to the ADC was motivated by the need to strengthen the opposition ahead of the 2027 general elections and contribute meaningfully to building a viable alternative platform for Nigerians. He added that while his decision had already been made, the recent defection of former Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, helped to accelerate his move.
Osuntokun disclosed that he was not new to the ADC, noting that he was among the early figures involved in the formation of the party, which he said evolved from the Coalition for Nigerian Movement initiated by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Meanwhile, the ADC continues to attract prominent opposition figures ahead of the 2027 polls. Reports indicate that political heavyweights such as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi, former Senate President David Mark, and former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola have also aligned with the party, signalling a possible realignment of opposition politics in Nigeria.
The latest defection is expected to intensify debates around the future of the Labour Party and reshape the political calculations ahead of the next general election.
