Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has responded to accusations of betrayal levelled against him by Barrister Julius Abure, the party’s national chairman.
Abure made the claims during a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting on Monday, September 9, where he alleged that both Obi and Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti, conspired against him by holding a stakeholders’ meeting in Umuahia, Abia State, where a former Minister of Finance, Mrs Esther Nenadi Usman, was elected to head a 29-member caretaker committee, aimed at resolving ongoing internal crises within the Labour Party.
In response, Obi, speaking through Comrade Ibrahim Umar, the spokesperson for Peter Obi Media Reach (POMR) to Daily Trust, expressed his disappointment with Abure’s statements, suggesting that they do not reflect the actual state of affairs within the party. He accused Abure of misleading the public and defaming the character of Mr Peter Obi by calling him a betrayer.
He said;
“I am disappointed, but not surprised, by the false accusations of betrayal labelled against our principal Mr. Peter Obi by Julius Abure, the Embattled national chairman of the party. It is clear that this is a politically motivated attempt to mislead the public.
“The stakeholders meeting of the LP held at Umuahia, on Wednesday, was meant to resolve the lingering leadership crisis and chart a way forward. The decision was not in any way personal.
“Therefore the Obidient Movement has stood in total solidarity with the actions and decisions of the stakeholders, which have always been guided by a commitment to unity, justice and transparency.
“Simply because he intervened for Justice? His (Abure) tenure ends in June, but he refused to leave the stage and also vowed that he was ready to fight. Who is he fighting? We understand his desperation for power, but it is high time for him to put the interest of the party over his personal interest. We will not engage in name-calling and character assassination. Instead, we call on Julius Abure to accept the outcome of the intervention by Mr Peter Obi and Gov Alex Otti which aimed to resolve any misunderstandings, and chart a way forward.”