Labour Party disowns Arabambi over suit against Peter Obi’s academic records

The Labour Party (LP) has disowned Mr Abayomi Arabambi over a suit reportedly instituted against the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), concerning the academic records of the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi.

The party said Arabambi was no longer a member and therefore could not institute the action as its representative or chieftain.

The National Publicity Secretary of the LP, Mr Ken Asogwa, disclosed this in Abuja on Monday, saying the party was reacting to media reports describing Arabambi as an LP chieftain.

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Asogwa said, “The Labour Party wishes to notify the general public that Abayomi Arabambi is not a member of the Labour Party.”

Arabambi had served as acting National Publicity Secretary of the party until around December 2022 and later emerged as the National Vice-Chairman (South-West) of one of the factions during the leadership crisis that rocked the LP.

The leadership dispute eventually led to judicial intervention, with the Independent National Electoral Commission recognising the National Working Committee led by Senator Nenadi Usman as the leadership of the party.

According to Asogwa, Arabambi was among 25 members suspended by the party’s National Executive Council on March 18, 2026, over alleged infractions bordering on anti-party activities.

He said the suspension was subsequently ratified by the party’s National Convention, the highest decision-making organ of the LP, on April 28, 2026.

“Since that decision was taken by the Labour Party, no organ of the party has sat to revisit or reverse the decision concerning the affected members,” Asogwa stated.

He said the party would not comment on the substance of the case, particularly as Obi was no longer a member of the LP.

Obi, who contested the 2023 presidential election on the LP platform, is now the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) for the 2027 election.

Asogwa warned that any attempt by Arabambi to present himself as an LP chieftain or representative would be unauthorised and could amount to impersonation.

He added that the party’s lawyers were reviewing the matter to determine possible legal action, including a petition to relevant law enforcement authorities.

The LP spokesman stressed that the clarification did not amount to a position on the validity or otherwise of Arabambi’s claims against Obi, saying the party’s statement was solely to establish that the litigant had no current relationship with the organisation.

He urged the media and the public to take note of Arabambi’s status and desist from portraying him as an official or representative of the Labour Party.