- Accuses APC of Orchestrating LP’s Crisis
By Kolawole Ojebisi
Obidient Movement, a political pressure group in the vanguard of the campaign of the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, has reacted to recent comments by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio on the crisis rocking the party.
The group’s reaction was prompted by Akpabio’s comments which stated that Obi lacks the managerial acumen and wherewithal to govern a country as big as Nigeria having demonstrably failed to resolve what he called a small crisis bedeviling his party, LP.
Akpabio made the comments on Thursday while reacting to the consistent criticisms of the Tinubu administration by Obi, who is also a former governor of Anambra State.
Obidient Movement’s reaction is contained in a statement signed and dated May 11, 2025 but released to journalists on Sunday in Awka by its Director of Strategic Communication and Media, Nana Kazaure,
According to the statement, the movement accused Akpabio’s party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, of orchestrating the crisis rocking the LP.
The group alleged that the ruling party is doing this by reportedly shielding sacked National Chairman of LP, Mr Julius Abure with state sponsored security.
The Obidient Movement also alleged that Akpabio lacks the moral authority to criticise Obi adding that the former Akwa-Ibom state governor is not fit to lead sucha charge.
The statement reads in part, “It is well known that the President of the 10th Senate is not particularly renowned for the substance or depth of his public utterances. However, we did not anticipate that he would descend to such an embarrassing low.
“For the benefit of Senator Akpabio, the internal issues within the Labour Party were duly taken before the courts by stakeholders of the party, under the leadership of Mr. Peter Obi.
“The Supreme Court – the highest court in the land – gave a clear and unambiguous ruling, affirming that the individual currently parading himself as the party chairman is doing so illegally.
“Rather than comply with the court’s directive, this usurper has been emboldened by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), which continues to provide him with state security cover. These actions have rendered the Senate President’s insinuation that Mr. Obi is
overwhelmed by intra-party crises not only disingenuous but also hypocritical.”
The statement continued: “It is deeply ironic and unbecoming for Senator Akpabio to publicly highlight a situation his own party has played a key role in manufacturing and sustaining. If anything, his comments serve only to advertise his complicity in the artificial and externally-driven disruptions to the Labour Party.
“There is, in fact, no crisis within the Labour Party. What persists is the shameless interference of the APC – Senator Akpabio’s party – in facilitating the illegal tenure of Julius Abure, despite the clear ruling of the Supreme Court.”
The movement described Obi as a man who has a sterling record of achievements in public office, which Akpabio can neither controvert, not diminish.
