The Ultimate Fallout: Julius Abure Vows to Mobilize Against Peter Obi, Leaves Door Open for Tinubu or Atiku

The political chess pieces ahead of the 2027 presidential election are moving faster than ever, and the fallout within the opposition camp has just taken a dramatic, personal turn.

In an explosive exclusive interview with The PUNCH, the immediate past National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Julius Abure, declared his readiness to align with either President Bola Ahmed Tinubu or former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar—while drawing a hard, uncrossable red line against supporting the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

“I Will Not Support Peter Obi”: The Breaking Point

Abure did not mince words when assessing his former ally, stating unequivocally that he would mobilize his loyal supporters to actively work against Obi in 2027. According to Abure, the former Anambra State governor has completely squandered the massive goodwill, human capital, and political machinery that powered his impressive 2023 presidential run.

The former LP chairman laid the blame for the party’s protracted leadership crisis squarely on Obi and Abia State Governor Alex Otti, accusing them of dismantling the party’s structure from the grassroots up to the national level.

“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,” Abure stated.

Questioning Obi’s leadership capacity based on the internal squabbles that rocked the Labour Party, Abure added: “Obi’s behaviour in the Labour Party is now what people are using to assess if he can truly lead the country. This is because if you can’t lead a micro, there is no way you can lead a macro.”

Eyeing 2027: Waiting on the Supreme Court and Open to Alliances

Abure revealed that his next political destination—and that of the structure loyal to him—hangs heavily on the outcome of a pending Supreme Court judgment concerning the leadership of the Labour Party.

If the apex court’s ruling does not land before the end of November, Abure noted that he will formally consult his followers to evaluate political offers. However, any potential alignment must align with their core ideology, interests, and feature a “sellable candidate.”

• “We are open to working with any of the major candidates, but as former Head of State, Ibrahim Babangida, said… 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,” he remarked.

Obi’s Camp Fires Back: “We Have Moved On”

It didn’t take long for the NDC and Peter Obi’s campaign organization to fire back, brushing off Abure’s threats and insisting they are entirely focused on the upcoming electoral battle.

• Constance Ikokwu (NDC Campaign Spokesperson): Dismissing Abure’s remarks, Ikokwu stated that Obi is fully occupied with the national campaign trail to rescue the country. “In the light of that, all we can say is good luck to Mr Julius Abure in his new ventures,” she told The PUNCH.
• Idris Zekeri (Obi’s Media Aide): Zekeri was even more blunt, declaring that the former LP chairman is no longer relevant to their strategic goals. “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,” Zekeri said, adding that Abure’s stance is driven by personal grievances rather than national interest.

With the battle lines drawn and former allies turning into fierce political adversaries, the race to 2027 continues to deliver high-stakes drama.