the internal crisis rocking the Labour Party has deepened after the faction loyal to National Chairman Julius Abure accused former presidential candidate Peter Obi of abandoning and destabilising the party following the 2023 general elections.
The accusation was made during a press conference held on February 13, 2026, in Abuja, where leaders of the Abure-led National Working Committee (NWC) addressed journalists on the escalating leadership dispute involving Abia State Governor Alex Otti and his allies.
Speaking on behalf of the faction, the party’s deputy national chairman delivered a blunt assessment of the former flagbearer’s role in the ongoing crisis, declaring that Obi had effectively weakened the party structure after benefiting from its platform.
“Obi destroyed the Labour Party and left it after using the platform. No individual is bigger than the party,” he said.
The Abure faction insisted it remains the only constitutionally recognised leadership of the Labour Party and dismissed attempts by the Otti-aligned group to convene meetings and issue directives as unlawful. According to the faction, any structure or decision-making body not authorised by the NWC is “null and void,” warning that disciplinary action may be taken against members who continue to recognise parallel leadership. Party officials at the briefing accused the rival camp of attempting to “hijack” the party’s national structure using the influence of elected office holders.
