Labour Party agrees to back Tinubu’s re-election in 2027, says Arabambi

The National Vice Chairman of the Labour Party for the South-West, Abayomi Arabambi, has declared that the party’s leadership, including Abia State Governor Alex Otti, has agreed in principle to support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.

Arabambi made the claim during an interview on News Central on Thursday.

According to him, the decision was based on the belief that the presidency should remain in the South-West to complete an eight-year tenure.

“Abure and Governor Alex Otti have all agreed in principle that we will support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu because this presidency belongs to the South-West, not to the South,” he said.

He added that the arrangement was aimed at allowing the South-West to complete its expected two-term cycle at the presidency.

Speaking on the possibility of Peter Obi returning to the Labour Party, Arabambi dismissed the idea, insisting that the party’s 2023 presidential candidate would not be welcomed back.

“Obi can never come back to the Labour Party, because we have an agreement, even with Governor Alex Otti, because of the intractable crisis, because of what has happened in the Labour Party, we have all settled that we will support the second term ambition of Mr President Bola Ahmed Tinubu only,” he said.

Arabambi also criticised former Finance Minister Nenadi Usman, accusing her of trying to return Obi to the Labour Party because she believes he may not secure the presidential ticket of the coalition-backed African Democratic Congress (ADC).

“Nenadi is just an appendage of Peter Obi. She’s only deceiving herself. She wants Obi as our Labour Party presidential candidate, and that is not going to work,” he said.

He added that any move to bring Obi back should be abandoned regardless of who was backing it.