The Labour Party (LP) has issued a strong and surprising reaction to the defection of its former 2023 presidential flagbearer, Mr. Peter Obi, to the African Democratic Congress (ADC). In a statement released on Wednesday, December 31, 2025, the party's leadership called his departure a "relief" and admitted it made a grave error by presenting him as its candidate in the last general election.
LP Leadership Calls Defection a 'Liberation'
The party's National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Obiora Ifoh, who signed the statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), said the LP had long anticipated Obi's move. He revealed that the party had effectively parted ways with Obi and some of his supporters as far back as September 2024.
"For us in the Labour Party, we wondered why it took them this long to make the move because we have since September 2024 parted ways with Peter Obi and some of his blind supporters in the National Assembly," the statement read.
The LP framed the defection not as a loss, but as a positive development. "We have patiently waited for this day. The party is finally liberated by this defection and, as party leaders, we count it as a blessing," Ifoh stated, describing the event as having "liberated" the party.
Accusations of Fuelling Crisis and a Public Apology
In a sharp attack, the Labour Party blamed its prolonged internal crisis directly on Peter Obi and the Governor of Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti. The party accused the duo of sponsoring actions aimed at destabilising the national leadership under Julius Abure.
"The crisis we had in the Labour Party was caused by Peter Obi and the Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti. It was them that sponsored the insurrection against the Julius Abure leadership," the LP alleged. The statement added that the party had previously urged Obi and his allies to leave if they could not cooperate with the established leadership.
In a rare and candid admission, the party's leadership issued an apology to the Nigerian public. "We gave Nigerians a candidate we thought was good for the nation in 2023, but time has since proved that we made the greatest political mistake," the statement said. It further claimed that the South-East region suffered politically under President Bola Tinubu's administration because of the trust placed in Obi during the 2023 polls.
Dismissing ADC Rally and Looking Ahead to 2027
The Labour Party also sought to downplay the significance of the Enugu event where Obi formally announced his switch to the ADC. The LP described the rally as poorly attended by prominent political and traditional figures in the South-East, labelling attendees as "political spent forces."
Looking forward, the party declared its intention to rebuild and present a new prospect for Nigerians. "Finally, we urge Nigerians to watch out for the Labour Party. We are already working out the best prospect that we hope will bring Nigeria back to its glorious days," the statement concluded, setting the stage for its strategy ahead of the 2027 general elections.
This development follows the earlier report that former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar had welcomed Peter Obi to the ADC, signalling major realignments in the Nigerian political landscape as the next election cycle approaches.
