Former Labour Party (LP) National Chairman, Julius Abure, says he is willing to support President Bola Tinubu or former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar in the 2027 presidential election. However, he has ruled out supporting former LP presidential candidate Peter Obi.
Abure made this known in an interview with The PUNCH. He said his choice would depend on the outcome of a pending Supreme Court case over the party’s leadership.
He also listed his political interests, ideology and the acceptability of the candidate as factors that would guide his decision. The former LP chairman said he would consult his supporters if the Supreme Court failed to deliver its judgment before the end of November explaining that he had yet to negotiate with any presidential candidate.
According to him, any alliance must also serve the interests of his followers. Abure said he would not support Obi in 2027, despite their previous political relationship ruling out NDC because Obi belongs to the party.
He further vowed to mobilise his supporters against Obi, claiming they would deploy the same political structure that helped the former governor in the 2023 election.
However, Abure also accused Obi and Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, of undermining his leadership and dismantling the Labour Party’s structure.
He alleged that they removed party officials from ward, state and national positions blaming them for worsening the party’s leadership crisis.
The former chairman questioned Obi’s leadership ability, citing his departure from the LP and subsequent moves to the African Democratic Congress and NDC.
He argued that Obi’s handling of the party crisis raised questions about his ability to manage a larger organisation.
Abure also claimed that Obi had lost the goodwill, human resources and political machinery that contributed to his performance in the 2023 presidential election.
