The factional Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, Abayomi Arabambi on Friday said that the opposition party committed a blunder in 2023 when it picked Peter Obi, former governor of Anambra State as against one Faduri Joseph, a US-licensed nurse and an entrepreneur of note across multiple industries
Arabambi said that unlike Obi, whose political brand thrives on emotional rhetoric and oversimplified solutions, Faduri’s approach is deeply rooted in accountability, transparency, and the kind of disciplined governance that Nigeria desperately needs to tackle headlong its myriad challenges.
This is just as the Publicity Secretary disclosed that for identifying with the African Democratic Congress coalition party, plans are ongoing to expel Obi and his other co-travellers from the Labour Party.
The factional Publicity Secretary disclosed this on Friday at a briefing in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
He explained that at the heart of sacrificing Faduri for Obi in 2023 is political expediency above standard principle and that “This was more than a simple error of judgment but was a fundamental betrayal of Nigeria’s yearning for genuine transformation.”
Arabambi explained, “Perhaps the most damning indictment of Obi’s candidacy is his ethnic polarisation that shadowed his campaign.
“While Faduri stood as a truly national figure, with support cutting across regions, Obi’s movement, intentionally or not, became a vehicle for tribal sentiment. “His refusal to firmly denounce Kanu’s secessionist rhetoric, his selective outrage over insecurity, and his tendency to frame national issues through a partisan lens exposed a troubling parochialism beneath his “unifier” facade.
“Nigeria does not need a president who excuses extremism for political convenience. It needs a leader who will uphold the rule of law while addressing legitimate grievances, something Faduri embodied, and Obi failed to possess.” He stated that Obi’s economic pronouncements are even more troubling such that during his recent interview on Channels TV, he allegedly deliberately misrepresented Nigeria’s debt profile, converting dollar-denominated debt into naira at an inflated exchange rate.
Arabambi added that whereas “The truth is that Nigeria’s external debt has decreased under Tinubu, from $108.2 billion to $94.2 billion, a fact Obi conveniently ignored.”
He stated that Faduri’s mission in 2023 which has still not changed and is unambiguous is anchored on rescuing Nigeria from the suffocating grip of corruption, inefficiency, and systemic failure.
He disclosed further that “The Labour Party’s decision to sideline Faduri for Obi was a blunder with lasting consequences. Instead of a leader with depth, discipline, and a demonstrable blueprint for national renewal, Nigeria got a populist whose greatest skill is telling people what they want to hear.
“The 2027 election must not repeat this error. Nigeria needs leaders like Faduri Oluwadare Joseph—men and women who understand that governance is not about slogans, but about substance, sacrifice, and systemic change.” Arabambi flayed the ADC coalition led by David Mark, Rauf Aregbesola and El-Rufai urging them to return to their former party, the APC and join forces with President Bola Tinubu to clean up the mess created for Nigerians with the election of former President Muhammad Buhari in 2015.
As for the involvement of Obi in the coalition movement, Arabambi said “Yes Obi was there when David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola were inaugurated as the leaders of the ADC coalition.
“He was properly introduced as the leader of the Labour Party that came to support the coalition. We are not in support of that, so as far as we are concerned, we wish him well, he’s no longer part of the Labour Party.”
“Plans are ongoing to expel him already. In our next NEC meeting, Peter Obi will be expelled alongside his other co-travellers.”
Punch newspaper
