Labour Party Urges Atiku Abubakar to Step Down for Peter Obi Ahead of 2027 Presidential Election

The Labour Party (LP) has reignited debate over opposition unity ahead of the 2027 general elections, with a faction loyal to Peter Obi and Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, insisting that only a united front can unseat President Bola Tinubu.

Speaking in an interview with Punch, the party’s Interim National Publicity Secretary, Prince Tony Akeni, called on former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, to shelve his presidential ambition and back Obi if he is truly committed to rescuing Nigeria.

Akeni said, “If Atiku can go deep inside his soul and demonstrate that he truly loves this country by standing up to support Obi for the presidency, he can then choose anybody of his choice, even his last born, as the vice-presidential candidate.

“Tinubu will be the easiest incumbent in the world to defeat in 2027. The only thing that can prevent that is if Atiku insists that he must be president at all costs.”

Akeni warned that divided ambitions had repeatedly handed victory to the ruling party, describing opposition unity as the only antidote.

He criticised the Tinubu administration, alleging that it was “overloaded with greed and defections,” and predicted that the ruling All Progressives Congress was heading for implosion.

Akeni further stated, “What should be conveyed to Tinubu and his brinksmen is sympathy. Let him know that we of the Labour Party sympathise with him because he is carrying, with this decamping domino, a nest of soldier ants into his scrotum.

“When the crash comes, he should remember that we said so and accept our sympathy in advance. What he is doing is overloading his boat, which hunger is already tearing apart in the country.”

Akeni praised Obi’s leadership qualities, likening him to Singapore’s late Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew, who transformed his country through discipline, meritocracy, and vision.

“If Obi is able to assemble patriotic Nigerians whose spirit embraces the entire country, not ethnic lines, he will make a difference,” he added.

However, Atiku, who came second behind Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election, has in recent interviews ruled out stepping down for Obi or any other opposition candidate.

Instead, he has proposed a broad coalition of opposition parties ahead of 2027, insisting that leadership should be determined through consultation rather than personal sacrifice.
Labour Party Dismisses One-Party State Fears

Reacting separately, the LP’s Deputy National Chairman, Ayo Olorunfemi, dismissed fears that Nigeria was drifting into a one-party state.

He said, “If there is no election, then there is anarchy. What we are seeing is not anarchy; it’s simply politics. People are responsible for their choices. If they decide to give everything to APC, that is their choice and they will live with the consequences.

“Nigerians are already suffering from the consequences of their choice in 2015. Are we not?”

The Labour Party, which rose to prominence in 2023 after Obi’s strong showing at the polls, remains divided between the Julius Abure-led National Working Committee and the Obi-Otti faction.