By Simplicius Nwaneri
ABUJA (PRECISE POST) – As the Labour Party stands on the edge of a critical junction, the widening gulf between the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC)-backed faction and the Peter Obi/Alex Otti group now threatens to dismantle the party’s hard-won credibility. If today’s planned National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja goes on without the participation of the Obi/Otti camp, it would confirm the worst fears of party loyalists—that internal sabotage and ego wars may derail what once appeared to be Nigeria’s most promising political alternative.
The recent Supreme Court’s verdict confirming the expiration of the Julius Abure-led executive council should have marked a new beginning—a chance for healing, reconciliation, and restructuring. Instead, it has laid bare the depth of the trust deficit that now plagues the Labour Party, particularly between the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC)-backed faction and the camp of Peter Obi and Alex Otti.
This isn’t just a party dispute. It’s a threat to the ideological soul of a movement that galvanized millions of Nigerians during the 2023 elections. The promise of a “Third Force” is now overshadowed by internal power tussles and factional supremacy, with both sides appearing more interested in securing control than delivering the political reform they once championed.
Last week’s jab from Senate President Godswill Akpabio was not just political banter—it was a calculated blow. His statement that Peter Obi should first resolve the conflict tearing his own party apart before claiming the capacity to fix Nigeria hit a nerve, not because it was cruel, but because it was painfully true. The Labour Party cannot afford this luxury of disarray, not when it holds the aspirations of millions who placed their hopes in a movement that promised to do things differently.
He cannot afford to be a bystander. A divided Labour Party makes his message hollow and his movement fragile. Nigerians are watching, and political opponents are already exploiting the chaos. If the party cannot unite around a shared vision and leadership, how can it claim the moral authority to challenge entrenched interests and propose a new national order?
On the other hand, the Ajaero-led NLC must recognize that there is a fine line between the right to influence and the entitlement to control. Labour unions played a critical role in birthing the party, but they must now learn to respect political evolution and the aspirations of the broader Nigerian electorate. A political party cannot function as an extension of a union hierarchy. It must mature into an institution that reflects the diversity of its supporters—not just those who claim founding rights.
At the same time, the Obi/Otti faction must also rise above suspicion and insularity. This is not a time for camps and shadow caucuses. Both factions must demonstrate the courage to make sacrifices in the interest of the party and the teeming Nigerians who are desperate for a credible, people-focused alternative to the political establishment.
The Nigerian political terrain is unforgiving. Parties that fail to resolve internal conflicts are quickly relegated to irrelevance. If Labour fails to find common ground, it risks squandering the goodwill of millions who saw it as a beacon of hope in a cynical political landscape.
Peter Obi cannot stand aside and watch as the party tears itself apart under the weight of internal egos and unresolved grievances. This is the time for him to rise to the occasion—not just as a presidential candidate, but as a statesman. He must engage both factions, push for reconciliation, and insist on discipline, transparency, and fairness. A leader does not wait for consensus—he builds it.
Today’s NEC meeting, if held without the presence and input of key stakeholders, will be a tragic symbol of a party divided, drifting dangerously toward irrelevance. It will also give opponents further ammunition to dismiss the Labour Party as just another power-hungry collective, no different from the status quo it seeks to replace.
But there is still a window—narrow, but real—for redemption. Both sides must come to the table, willing to compromise, willing to listen, and above all, willing to serve something greater than personal ambition: the Nigerian people.
The Labour Party must choose now—between remaining a beacon of hope or becoming another cautionary tale.
