Former National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Julius Abure, has explicitly ruled out backing the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, ahead of the 2027 general election. Instead, Abure signaled his readiness to consider political alignments with other major political heavyweights, including incumbent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar. ​
Speaking during an interview in Abuja on Monday, November 2, 2026, Abure declared with conviction that he has no intention of renewing his political partnership with Obi. Echoing a famous declaration by former military Head of State General Ibrahim Babangida, Abure noted that while he knows precisely whom he will not support, his options regarding President Tinubu, Atiku, or other major contenders remain open. ​
He stated unequivocally that he sees no reason to support Obi again, insisting that the NDC candidate squandered his goodwill and mismanaged the organizational gains achieved during the 2023 presidential election. Abure added that Obi’s departure from the Labour Party stripped him of the core machinery that previously propelled his national campaign. ​
Clarifying his current posture, Abure emphasized that he has not formally entered into campaign negotiations with any presidential candidate, explaining that any eventual alignment must align with the collective interests and ideology of his loyal followers. ​Reactions from Peter Obi’s campaign structure followed swiftly from the NDC headquarters in Abuja.
Speaking on behalf of the candidate on Monday, media aide Idris Zekeri dismissed Abure’s declarations as inconsequential to their 2027 campaign strategy. Zekeri questioned Abure’s decision to elevate personal grievances above the broader national interest, maintaining that the campaign has completely moved past internal grievances to focus entirely on its ongoing election efforts.
