Factional chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Callistus Okafor, has announced the withdrawal of his group, claiming to command the loyalty of five million members, from the party. Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, May 22, Okafor said the decision followed extensive deliberations within his faction and was motivated by deepening divisions within the LP.
“My faction, we met, and we said that this is the time. I hereby announce to Nigerians, based on the decision as a team in the Labour Party, the five million Nigerians who are under my control, hereby today pull out from LP to team WaZoBia Nigeria,” he stated.
Okafor described WaZoBia Nigeria as a nonpartisan movement, emphasising that further details would be provided in due course. He said the current state of the Labour Party had become untenable and no longer conducive for political cooperation.
He also criticised Peter Obi, the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, accusing him of failing to unite the party following the general election. Okafor argued that Obi’s alliance with the LP’s embattled national chairman, Julius Abure, contributed to the ongoing crisis.
“Peter Obi, when he came to the party, he supported Abure, who has become his archenemy today,” Okafor said. “If Peter Obi had called me, LP would have gone into that election with one mind. We know the outcome of the election.”
According to Okafor, Obi missed the opportunity to consolidate party unity after the polls, which he believes has further weakened the LP’s structure.
The Labour Party has faced a prolonged leadership tussle involving multiple figures, Julius Abure, Nenadi Usman, and Okafor, all asserting claims to the national chairmanship. The ongoing dispute has raised questions about the party’s stability and its ability to serve as a cohesive opposition force.