The Acting National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Senator Nenadi Usman, has officially endorsed the decision of the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to align with an emerging opposition coalition spearheaded by former Senate President David Mark.
In a statement released Thursday through her media aide, Ken Asogwa, Senator Usman condemned the Julius Abure-led group within the party, branding them as “political jesters with no legitimate authority within the Labour Party.”
Usman emphasized that Abure and his allies, who recently issued a 48-hour ultimatum for Obi to resign from the party, lack any legal or organizational standing. She pointed out that they had been dismissed by the Supreme Court of Nigeria and expelled from the party over persistent acts of indiscipline and anti-party conduct.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the leadership of the Labour Party, on May 26, 2025, publicly declared its unflinching support for Mr. Obi’s involvement in coalition talks aimed at building a credible political alternative to salvage Nigeria from the continued misgovernance of the APC. That position remains unchanged,” the acting chairman reaffirmed.
Senator Usman stressed that Obi’s participation in coalition activities, including the African Democratic Congress (ADC) unveiling, was carried out with the full consent and backing of the Labour Party leadership.
“It is the remnants of the disorder left behind by these impostors that the current leadership continues to clean up. We urge the public and media to disregard the baseless distractions from these discredited elements,” she added.
The opposition coalition, which convened in Abuja on Wednesday, unveiled the ADC as its unifying platform ahead of the 2027 general elections. The meeting appointed former Senate President David Mark and ex-Osun State governor Rauf Aregbesola as interim National Chairman and Secretary, respectively.
Other notable figures in attendance included former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai, former Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi, Senator Dino Melaye, Solomon Dalong, Dele Momodu, Gabriel Suswam, Senator Ireti Kingibe, Emeka Ihedioha, and Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar (Rtd), among others.
The coalition aims to unite opposition voices in a bid to challenge the ruling APC and reshape Nigeria’s political landscape in the 2027 elections.
