Deputy National Chairman of the Labour Party, Ayo Olorunfemi, has advised Peter Obi to ignore calls urging him to leave the party ahead of the 2027 elections.

Speaking on Sunday in Lagos, Olorunfemi, who is also the Labour Party’s candidate for the 2024 Ondo governorship race, said Obi should focus on fixing and rebuilding the party instead of thinking about jumping ship.

In recent times, there have been growing calls for Obi to return to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. One of those voices, Segun Sowunmi, a former PDP governorship candidate in Ogun State, said in a TV interview that Obi’s return to the PDP would boost the party’s chances come 2027. Sowunmi also added that Obi’s rise to national fame started during his time with the PDP.

Olorunfemi, however, stressed that although Obi has the right to choose where he wants to belong, he should be cautious of what he called dangerous political moves.

He said, “Now that Obi has tested the Labour Party’s strength, if he leaves for another party, it would say a lot about his real motives. It would show whether he truly believed in the Labour Party’s ideals or if he only used the platform for his ambition. Nigerians will judge if he can still get their votes under another party.”

He urged Obi to focus on healing the Labour Party instead of abandoning it, adding that Obi and others contributed to the internal crisis and should now work to fix it.

Olorunfemi pointed out that in 2022, many aspirants in Labour Party stepped down to allow Obi emerge as the party’s presidential candidate. He also made it clear that even if Obi decides to leave, the Labour Party would remain a strong voice in opposition.

PDP chieftain Segun Sowunmi has called on Peter Obi to stop portraying Nigeria negatively, especially when speaking at international events.

Sowunmi reacted to Obi’s recent post on X, where the former Labour Party presidential candidate compared Nigeria’s economic progress with that of China, Indonesia, and Vietnam during a visit to Johns Hopkins University in the United States.

Obi had pointed out that in 1990, when the Human Development Index (HDI) began, Nigeria, China, Vietnam, and Indonesia were all placed in the medium category. He noted that while the three other countries have moved up to the high category by 2025, Nigeria has dropped to the low category.

However, Sowunmi disagreed with Obi’s assessment, arguing that the comparison was unfair and incomplete.

Posting on X, Sowunmi said, “With all due respect @PeterObi, these measurements are faulty. They are extremely biased because those who create these figures do not know how to measure Nigeria’s informal sector.

“You need to stop this, especially at international forums. Instead, you should be holding them accountable for the harmful neoliberal policies and hidden pressures that have held Africa back.

“No one who hopes to lead Nigeria should be the loudest voice tearing it down. You must stop this immediately,” he said.

Usman Bugaje, a former House of Reps member and one-time presidential adviser, has claimed that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is using money as a tool to lure members of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Bugaje believes many defections happening now are mostly driven by money, although there may be other factors like pressure from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on those with questionable records. Still, he says the real motivation behind these political crossovers is financial gain.

His comments follow a major political shake-up in Delta State where the sitting governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, his predecessor and Atiku’s 2023 running mate, Ifeanyi Okowa, along with several lawmakers and local government chairmen, moved to the APC.

Bugaje spoke on a news program, saying;

“From what I know, the APC is simply buying off PDP members. Some call it the carrot and stick method — the carrot is the money, but as for the stick, I’m not too sure. Maybe it’s linked to EFCC pressure. This practice has been going on since the Obasanjo era. But the core issue here is money.”

He warned that if politics continues to be shaped by money, then democracy itself is at risk. “It’s a dangerous trend,” he said. “If money keeps deciding who joins which party, then we’ve lost what democracy is supposed to stand for.”

Reacting to the defection, the PDP’s acting national chairman, Umar Damagum, admitted the party didn’t see the Delta move coming. But he stressed that the outcome of the next elections won’t depend on how many governors each party has, but on the people’s verdict on the APC’s governance.

Bugaje wasn’t convinced the PDP still holds its ground as a real opposition. Referring to past actions, including how members responded to the emergency rule debate and budget matters, he said, “The PDP lost its opposition voice the moment Wike took the path he did. Since then, there’s been no real resistance or leadership coming from them.”