The Labour Party has declared its intention to expel its 2023 presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, over alleged anti-party activities and dual-party allegiance. The announcement came during a televised interview on Channels TV, where the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Abayomi Arabambi, confirmed that a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting will soon be held to formally recommend Obi’s expulsion.
Arabambi didn’t hold back as he accused Obi of aligning with rival political factions and engaging in what he described as “yahoo yahoo coalition” politics. According to him, Obi had already been under suspension before intensifying his alleged anti-party actions by affiliating with a parallel political structure.
“We are convening a NEC meeting where he [Peter Obi] will be expelled,” Arabambi said during the explosive interview. “You don’t go and join a political party and at the same time put your leg in another political party. He knows it is unconstitutional to belong to two parties at the same time. They have deceived him to their side and there he shall remain.”
Arabambi stressed that the NEC would recommend Obi’s expulsion, which would then be ratified at the party’s next national convention, in accordance with the Labour Party constitution and broader political party norms in Nigeria.
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The controversy deepens the internal crisis already engulfing the Labour Party, as it remains divided between two powerful factions. Obi and Abia State Governor Alex Otti are aligned with the faction led by Senator Usman Nenadi. On the other hand, Arabambi represents the Julius Abure-led faction that controls the official party secretariat and has already suspended several high-profile members, including Governor Otti and Senators Ireti Kingibe and Darlington Nwokocha, over similar anti-party allegations.
Arabambi insisted that Obi’s continued association with the opposing group renders his membership in the Labour Party invalid. “It is not within his right to tell us he is still a member of the Labour Party while hobnobbing with what we call the yahoo yahoo coalition. We are not going to accept that,” he added.
Peter Obi, who galvanized millions of Nigerian youths and secured over 6.1 million votes in the 2023 presidential election, has yet to respond officially to the expulsion threats. Political observers say the move could spark legal battles and further fragment the party ahead of future elections.
