By Annette Ikponmwonba | November 2nd, 2026
Key Points
· Former Labour Party National Chairman Julius Abure says he is ready to align with President Bola Tinubu or Atiku Abubakar ahead of 2027, but will not support Peter Obi
· His decision will depend on a pending Supreme Court case over the Labour Party’s leadership, his interests and ideology, and the candidate’s acceptability
· He says that if the Supreme Court has not ruled by the end of November, he will consult his supporters and weigh offers
· Abure vowed to mobilise his supporters against Obi, accusing him of squandering the goodwill and structure behind his 2023 showing
· He predicted Obi will perform below his 2023 result and said the NDC is not among the parties he would consider
· The NDC and Obi’s camp dismissed him, saying they have moved on and are focused on the campaign
Main Story
The immediate past National Chairman of the Labour Party, Julius Abure, has declared his readiness to align with President Bola Tinubu or former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar ahead of the 2027 presidential election, while ruling out support for the Nigeria Democratic Congress presidential candidate, Peter Obi. He said his decision to back any candidate would depend on the outcome of a pending Supreme Court case involving the leadership of the Labour Party, his political interests and ideology, and the candidate’s acceptability.
In an exclusive interview, Abure said that if the Supreme Court fails to deliver judgment before the end of November, he will consult his supporters and decide on a preferred candidate. “We will rationalise the offer of whoever wants our support. However, it must tally with our interest and ideology, and he must be a sellable candidate. Once these are settled, our faces will be everywhere. I am talking about the same faces that took Peter Obi everywhere in 2023,” he said.
He was categorical about Obi. “Yes, obviously the NDC is not included. I don’t see any reason to support Peter Obi again. I will not. And I am saying this with conviction and without any fear of contradiction. However, as of now, I am not in talks with any candidate yet. This is because it’s not just about me. It’s also about my followers and their interests,” he said. He also vowed to mobilise his supporters against Obi.
The Issues
The row traces back to the prolonged leadership crisis in the Labour Party, including disagreements over the conduct of its national convention and control of its structure. Abure accuses Obi and Abia State Governor Alex Otti of worsening the crisis by setting up a parallel National Working Committee in Owerri and dismantling the party structure from ward to national level. Allies of Obi argue that Abure breached an earlier agreement to hold an inclusive convention starting at the ward and state levels. The dispute widened the gap between the two, and Obi moved away from the Labour Party to pursue a new platform.
Abure argues the crisis exposed Obi’s leadership shortcomings. “If you can’t lead a micro, there is no way you can lead a macro,” he said. He also criticised Obi’s movement from the Labour Party to the African Democratic Congress before joining the NDC, alleging that Obi left the ADC after realising he could not secure his desired outcome there.
The substance of Abure’s threat is also unclear. He claims his supporters remain loyal to the party structure he controls, but some members have defected to other platforms, and how much real influence he holds will be tested only if and when he picks a side.
What’s Being Said
Abure claimed Obi’s exit from the Labour Party cost him the organisational structure and campaign machinery that helped him win more than six million votes in 2023. “Obi will not record the successes he recorded in the 2023 general election. That is because he has squandered his goodwill, human capital, resources, and mismanaged all the gains he had in 2023,” he said.
He also argued that Obi will not enjoy the same freedom in the NDC, saying national leader Senator Seriake Dickson is firmly in control. “Let Obi compare the freedom and leverage he enjoyed under our leadership to what he is experiencing in the NDC; he already knows the difference,” he said, adding that Dickson had learnt from the Labour Party crisis.
The NDC Presidential Campaign Council spokesperson, Constance Ikokwu, dismissed the position. “Mr Peter Obi is fully occupied with the campaign trail, focused on the important task of leading a national effort towards the 2027 presidential contest, an election that offers Nigerians an opportunity to rescue the country and change its direction. In the light of that, all we can say is good luck to Mr Julius Abure in his new ventures,” she said.
Obi’s media aide, Idris Zekeri, said: “We no longer talk about Abure. We have moved on from them. We have an election less than 70 days away, and then we are campaigning.” He said Abure’s decision was driven by personal grievances, adding that Obi is not seeking universal support and that differences are part of the democratic process.
What’s Next
The end of November is the key date. If the Supreme Court has not ruled on the Labour Party leadership case by then, Abure says he will consult his supporters and weigh offers from the candidates. He said he is not currently in talks with any candidate.
Attention will turn to whether the Tinubu or Atiku camps respond to his overture, and whether the Supreme Court judgment lands before the deadline. With the election less than 70 days away, any alignment by Abure’s faction would be watched for its practical effect on the campaign.
Bottom Line
Abure is positioning himself as a kingmaker open to Tinubu or Atiku and firmly against Obi, but with the Supreme Court case pending and Obi’s camp brushing him off, how much weight his faction carries in 2027 remains to be seen.
