The National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, Abayomi Arabambi, has taken a swipe at the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, describing his recent one-term presidency proposal as “a deceptive ploy born out of desperation.”
Naijaonpoint reports that Obi, during a live session on 𝕏 Spaces on Sunday, had declared his intention to contest in the 2027 presidential election, pledging to serve only a single four-year term if elected.
The former Anambra State governor stated that he was also open to coalition talks with other opposition parties, provided the alliance would focus on addressing Nigeria’s deep-seated issues.
Reacting to the statement on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese Ijebu, in Abeokuta on Wednesday, Arabambi rubbished Obi’s promise, insisting it holds no weight.
He said, “That statement about running for just one term is deceptive. In Nigeria’s history, has any president ever truly committed to one term? After a year or two, you’ll start hearing chants of ‘four more years.’ Peter Obi’s promise is inconsistent and dishonest.”
He didn’t stop there. Arabambi accused Obi of insincerity and manipulation, stating, “The likes of Obi and his co-farmers, we know what they came to do. But for him to claim he’s going to spend just a term is a statement made out of falsehood. It is impossible.”
The Labour Party spokesperson also criticised Obi’s record within the party, arguing that his internal leadership has been anything but transformative.
He said, “He said he will fix Nigeria in two years, a man that cannot even fix the Labour Party in six months. He came to make sure our party was an embodiment of his institutional slavery. Where’s the empirical track of his words?”
Arabambi further questioned Obi’s political loyalty, describing him as a serial party defector who has no ideological anchor.
He said, “The guy came to scam us in Labour, and I will never deviate because we know the intricacies that happened in the party. He moved from APGA to PDP, then came to the Labour Party. He’s a political scam. When the time comes, we will expose him.”
On the proposed opposition coalition reportedly involving Obi and other political figures, Arabambi expressed outright rejection, branding the effort “selfish and personal.”
“We are not considering any coalition. The likes of Tinubu, Atiku, and even Obi have brought this country to its knees since 2015. They are birds of the same feather. They should all get out of Nigeria’s political system,” he stated.