Category: Local

By Kamal Yalwa: Abuja | July 8, 2025 Abayomi Arabambi, the factional National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party (LP), has declared that the party’s 2023 presidential flagbearer, Peter Obi, will soon be formally expelled for alleged anti-party activities. In a strongly worded statement, Arabambi accused Obi of fraternising with rival political platforms, a move he described as unconstitutional and disloyal. He insisted that Obi had already been suspended before further engaging in acts that contradict the party’s constitution. “You don’t join a political party and at the same time put your leg in another. He knows it is unconstitutional to belong to two political parties,” Arabambi said. He criticised Obi’s alleged association with what he called the “Yahoo Yahoo coalition”—a veiled reference to the new ADC-led opposition alliance featuring key figures like Atiku Abubakar, Nasir El-Rufai, Peter Obi, and others. Arabambi also dismissed the legitimacy of any caretaker committees or parallel party structures formed under Obi’s influence, asserting that both the Labour Party’s internal constitution and Section 222 of the Nigerian Constitution prohibit such arrangements. “We are convening a NEC meeting where he (Obi) will be expelled. The expulsion will be recommended at NEC and ratified at our national convention in line with our constitution,” he stated. The statement further deepens the crisis within the Labour Party, which has been plagued by internal factional battles and leadership disputes since the conclusion of the 2023 elections. While Peter Obi has yet to formally respond to these expulsion threats, his recent political moves, including attendance at opposition strategy meetings, have raised questions about his next political alignment ahead of the 2027 elections. The Julius Abure-led LP faction, to which Arabambi belongs, insists it is the only constitutionally recognised leadership of the party. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is yet to issue an official statement regarding the legitimacy of either faction.

A prominent pan-Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ndi Asuu Bia Social Cultural Organization, has formally endorsed the creation of Anioma State from the existing Delta State, submitting a memorandum to the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution to that effect. The group, which is duly registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), said the proposal seeks to redress decades-long marginalization and disparities in state representation affecting the Igbo ethnic group. This push aligns with the growing momentum behind the Anioma State creation bill, spearheaded by Senator Ned Nwoko, who represents Delta North in the National Assembly. According to reports, Nwoko has already secured the support of over 80 serving senators. In a detailed four-page memorandum jointly signed by Chief Onyenwemadu Kingsley Kainebi (President), Ofochi Benjamin-Atagana, Esq. (Secretary), and Chief Cosmas Agada Chikeobi (Chairman, Local Organising Committee), the group called for specific constitutional amendments. The memo urged the National Assembly to amend Section 3(1) of the 1999 Constitution to include Anioma as Nigeria’s 37th state, as well as First Schedule, Part I, to list its Local Government Areas and Capital City. The group emphasized that the creation of Anioma State would bring much-needed balance to Nigeria’s geopolitical structure, noting that the Southeast zone currently has only five states, while other zones have six or more. According to the group, the name “Anioma” reflects the tribal identity of the dominant Igbo subgroups in the region. They also stressed that calls for the state’s creation date back to Nigeria’s First Republic. “Creating Anioma State will help reunite Anioma people with their kith and kin in the Southeast, bring governance closer to the grassroots, and eliminate long-standing marginalization,” the submission read. The group urged the 10th National Assembly to adopt the proposal in the spirit of equity, fairness, and national unity.