Julius Abure Rules Out Supporting Peter Obi in 2027, Signals Possible Alliance With Tinubu or Atiku

The immediate past National Chairman of the Labour Party, Julius Abure, has ruled out supporting Peter Obi in the 2027 presidential election, declaring his readiness to align with President Bola Tinubu or former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.

Abure said his political decision would depend on the outcome of a pending Supreme Court case over the Labour Party’s leadership, as well as his political interests, ideology and the acceptability of any candidate seeking his support.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with The PUNCH, the former LP chairman said he would consult his supporters and consider offers from major political contenders if the Supreme Court failed to deliver its judgment before the end of November.

He maintained that any alliance must reflect the interests of his political group and involve a candidate capable of attracting public support. Abure also suggested that his supporters, who played a role in Obi’s 2023 presidential campaign, could become politically active again once a decision was reached.

“We are open to working with any of the major candidates, but as former Head of State, Ibrahim Babangida, said, ‘I know whom I will not hand over to. But I don’t know who I will hand over to.’ So, similarly, I am very sure that I wouldn’t support Peter Obi for the 2027 general election. But I am open to an alignment with others,” Abure said.

He described the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), where Obi is now seeking the presidency, as a platform he would not consider supporting because of the former Anambra State governor’s presence. Abure also accused Obi and Abia State Governor Alex Otti of dismantling the Labour Party’s organisational structure, alleging that the crisis affected the party from ward and state levels to the national leadership.

The disagreement between Abure and Obi developed during the prolonged leadership crisis within the Labour Party. While Abure accused Obi and Otti of imposing a parallel National Working Committee in Owerri, allies of the former presidential candidate argued that Abure had failed to honour an agreement for an inclusive convention beginning at ward and state levels.

Abure further questioned Obi’s leadership abilities, arguing that his handling of the Labour Party crisis raised concerns about his capacity to govern Nigeria. He also predicted that Obi would perform below his 2023 electoral showing, claiming that his departure from the party had weakened the political structure and campaign machinery that helped him secure more than six million votes.

However, the NDC and Obi’s camp dismissed Abure’s comments, insisting that they were focused on the 2027 presidential election. NDC Presidential Campaign Council spokesperson Constance Ikokwu said Obi was concentrating on his campaign and efforts to lead a national movement for political change, wishing Abure well in his future political activities.

Similarly, Obi’s media aide, Idris Zekeri, said the campaign had moved beyond its disagreements with the former Labour Party chairman. He described Abure’s position as a product of personal grievances, while urging Nigerians who believed in fairness, competence, justice and good governance to support Obi’s presidential ambition.