Labour Party Is Nothing Without Peter Obi – Azomchine

Leader of the Obidient Network Advisory Council, Ikenna Azomchine, has asserted that the Labour Party holds no significance without Peter Obi.

Speaking in an interview with Arise News on Wednesday, Azomchine emphasised that Peter Obi remains central to the party’s identity and future, particularly as a presidential contender after President Bola Tinubu’s tenure.

“We still have a chance to give Peter Obi a shot at the presidency after Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s four years,” he said.

Addressing internal conflicts within the Labour Party, Azomchine criticised the role of its National Chairman, Julius Abure, and suggested that hidden forces were influencing him.

“We are yet to identify the big rats who are beating the drums Julius Abure is dancing to in Labour Party,” he remarked.

He further differentiated between the Obidient movement and the Labour Party, noting that supporters of Peter Obi exist across different political affiliations.

“Okay, there’s a difference between Obedience and the Labour Party. Sure, Obedience are in every political party. Obedience are in the APC, Obedience are in PDP. I am an Obedient from the PDP extraction. I was PDP Chairman in Belgium in 2001. We inaugurated the foreign chapters. Then I was PDP International for four years before I ran for Guba Anambra when Obasanjo visited Brussels. But let me tell you, the Labour Party is nothing without Peter Obi. It’s nothing without Peter Obi. It’s nothing,” Azomchine stated.

Reflecting on Obi’s departure from the PDP, he recalled internal party dynamics that hindered Obi’s chances of securing the presidential ticket.

“I followed the train from the angle of Peter Obi not getting the ticket before Atiku. They know the brouhaha that Atiku wouldn’t let Peter Obi get the ticket. And Peter Obi had to leave the PDP.

“There was this meeting in Abia State Government House when Valentine Ozigbo was to be Governor, was running for Governor. And we were all at Abia Government House where I now noticed that most of the PDP caucus from the South East were winding down for Atiku. And I was like, are you guys okay? How can you guys be talking about Atiku? When you have Peter Obi,” he recalled.

Azomchine also addressed the current political landscape, stressing the importance of Tinubu’s performance in office.

“Meanwhile, it has been a long time, eight years. Don’t forget, we have to lay the equation like this. Now we have a Southern Presidency which Bola Ahmed Tinubu is running for four years. I think the onion is on the Nigerian people to assess Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Because we southerners, the embarrassment is for us if the Southern President fails. That’s what I see as an Obedient. We still have a chance for Nigerians to say no. Now we have tried Bola Ahmed Tinubu for four years. Let us give this Peter Obi a chance,” he asserted.

He dismissed concerns that Labour Party’s internal crisis could damage Obi’s chances in future elections.

“Can I tell you something? You see Julius Abure. Four years, three years ago, we all came. Julius Abure was just somebody that Peter Obi wanted to help. Let me tell you my experience. My experience from the PDP, where your leaders say enough is enough, you can go. Imagine you had a so-called convention at Nnewi. Your presidential candidate, Aspirant, didn’t come. And you are confidently and comfortably dishing orders.

“Somebody is actually hitting the drum that this Abure of a man is dancing on. Well, we know that there are some big rats somewhere. We are yet to identify,” he stated.