The Lagos State Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Pastor (Dr) Mrs. Dayo Ekong, has delivered a scathing assessment of former presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, warning that his influence is waning and his actions are undermining the very foundation of the party that once propelled him to national prominence.
In a strongly worded reflection on the party’s current challenges, Ekong accused Obi of political inconsistency, divisive tendencies, and actions that have left the LP fractured and increasingly irrelevant in recent contests.
“While I respect his contributions and the passion he ignited in 2023, it is time for a candid conversation. Mr. Obi must recognize the grace that propelled him in the last election cycle—a divine and collective favor from the party and the electorate—and reflect on how his recent actions are eroding that very foundation,” she declared.
Ekong noted that Obi’s once formidable momentum—buoyed by a nationwide youth movement in 2023—has dissipated, citing his inability to deliver electoral victories in Imo, Edo, and even his home state of Anambra.
She pointed to the Edo governorship race in 2024, where Obi campaigned vigorously for Olumide Akpata despite factional rifts within LP, only for the candidate to “lose woefully” to APC’s Monday Okpebholo. Similarly, Obi’s push for Senator Athan Achonu in the 2023 Imo governorship election ended in a “resounding loss.”
Perhaps most damning, Ekong said, was Obi’s decision to abandon LP in the Onitsha by-election for the African Democratic Congress (ADC), even campaigning in an ADC-branded cap. The outcome was disastrous: ADC secured just 1,909 votes, Labour fared worse, and APGA swept the contest without him.
“The result was dismal… Governor Soludo aptly noted that this outcome signals the ‘death’ of ADC and Labour in Anambra, a stark mockery of Obi’s diminished clout in his home turf,” she added.
According to the Lagos LP chair, Nigerians are growing “fatigued” by Obi’s “frequent shifts and perceived acrimony” with Labour Party structures, warning that his actions mirror the much-criticized cross-party maneuverings of Nyesom Wike.
“We all openly admonished Wike for his PDP/APC antics but turn a blind eye to Peter Obi’s LP/ADC antics. The electorate is watching and slowly making up their minds against 2027,” Ekong cautioned.
She urged Obi to take a step back, reflect, and choose unity over personal battles if he still hopes to remain politically relevant.
“A wise politician like Peter Obi, known for his prudence and vision, has suddenly lost so much appeal—even in his backyard. The threads of his political legacy are unraveling slowly but surely,” Ekong warned.
“The Labour Party remains committed to the ideals of equity, justice, and progress for all Nigerians. But for us to thrive, we need leaders who prioritize the collective over individual whims,” she concluded.