The crisis within the Labour Party has taken another turn as Julius Abure, the factional National Chairman, has cautioned the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, against what he described as attempts to blackmail the party.

This caution came through a statement released by the faction’s National Secretary, Alhaji Umar Farouk Ibrahim, following an interview Obi granted Arise TV on Monday. In the interview, Obi reportedly claimed that the ruling APC had infiltrated the Labour Party’s leadership and was fueling internal conflict.

Reacting to the interview, Abure’s camp dismissed the allegations, stating that the troubles rocking the party were not caused by any external interference from the APC but were rather the result of internal actions taken by Obi and Abia State Governor, Alex Otti. The faction emphasized that Governor Otti, currently under suspension for anti-party behavior, and Obi played key roles in triggering the issues now affecting the party.

They went further to challenge Obi to present any solid proof—tangible or not—that links the Abure-led leadership to any collaboration with the APC. They also addressed Obi’s claim that Abure referred to Otti as a “dwarf,” describing the accusation as an attempt to distract from more pressing matters.

While the group said they didn’t wish to publicly drag Obi, they criticized what they see as his consistent misrepresentation of the situation, urging him to stop misleading Nigerians. They noted that like many political parties, Labour Party is facing internal challenges, but insisted Obi must take responsibility for his part in it.

The statement stressed that the party had several chances in 2023 to form alliances but chose to stick by Obi and Otti—before, during, and even after the elections. Now, they believe it’s time for Obi to accept responsibility for his own shortcomings. “Leaders aren’t perfect, but when they make mistakes, they should own them,” the statement read. “Peter Obi failed in providing the leadership the party needed. Instead of pointing fingers, he should take accountability.”