The Labour Party (LP) has called on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to withdraw from the 2027 presidential election, arguing that the former ruling party has lost focus and is no longer capable of providing leadership in Nigeria.
In a statement issued on Friday, LP’s National Publicity Secretary, Dr. Abayomi Arabambi, said the PDP’s persistent internal crisis renders it unfit to contest for power, let alone govern effectively.
“PDP is in a serious leadership crisis. They have not been able to put their house in order, so how can they manage the affairs of the country? PDP should recuse itself from participating in the 2027 presidential election and support the Labour Party and Mr. Peter Obi to wrest power from the All Progressives Congress (APC),” Arabambi stated.
The LP’s call follows a series of internal wranglings within the PDP, including a brawl at the party’s headquarters, conflicting claims to the office of National Secretary by Samuel Anyanwu and Ude-Okoye, and allegations by former presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar that opposition leaders were being bribed with N50 million each to weaken democracy.
Arabambi argued that since losing power in 2015, the PDP has struggled to unite, making a return to power in 2027 highly unlikely. Instead, he suggested that the PDP should back the Labour Party to present a stronger opposition to the APC.
“We don’t want what happened in 2023 to repeat itself in 2027 when the PDP and LP went separate ways, dividing their votes. If they had worked together as one, their combined votes would have defeated the APC. We don’t want such to happen in 2027,” he added.
The statement also dismissed Atiku’s claims against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, asserting that the PDP’s turmoil is self-inflicted.
The PDP Governors’ Forum met in Asaba, Delta State, on Friday to strategize on resolving the party’s internal crisis ahead of its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting. Attendees included governors from Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Plateau, Adamawa, Bayelsa, Osun, Taraba, and Zamfara, with Oyo State’s Deputy Governor representing Governor Seyi Makinde. The meeting was hosted by Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and attended by PDP’s acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum.
Despite these efforts, the LP maintains that the PDP is no longer positioned to challenge the APC effectively. Arabambi expressed confidence that with the over six million votes the LP secured in 2023, the party could win in 2027, especially if the PDP aligns with them.
“The implosion in PDP is self-inflicted. Has Atiku been around to organize the party? He is not serious,” Arabambi concluded.
