A Labour Party (LP) chieftain, Abayomi Arabambi, has criticised Peter Obi’s political strategy ahead of the 2027 presidential election, questioning whether the former Anambra State governor is genuinely preparing to contest the presidency.
Arabambi, the LP National Vice President (South-West), made the remarks during an appearance on TVC’s Politics Tonight, where he discussed emerging political alignments and the ambitions of opposition figures ahead of the 2027 election.
The LP chieftain described Obi as a “chief content creator,” alleging that the former governor frequently presents statistics on Nigeria’s economic and social conditions that later prove inaccurate.
Arabambi questioned Obi’s current political activities, claiming that the former governor had focused more on commenting on the country’s challenges than positioning himself for the presidential contest.
He further alleged that Obi was not actually preparing to contest the 2027 presidential election, insisting that even members of Obi’s political camp were aware of this.
According to Arabambi, the only opposition politician he considers a serious challenger to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 election is former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who is the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
He argued that Atiku remains the opposition figure with the political capacity to mount a strong challenge against the incumbent president.
Arabambi also defended the argument that the presidency should remain in the southern part of Nigeria in 2027. He said the region should be allowed to complete what he described as its eight-year tenure.
According to him, the zoning argument became relevant after the 2023 presidential election, when Tinubu emerged as president following the completion of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s two terms in office.
He maintained that since power moved to the South through Tinubu’s election, the region should retain the presidency for another four years before it is transferred to another part of the country.
The comments come amid fresh political realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections, with opposition politicians exploring different platforms and alliances to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The political disagreements have particularly intensified around the opposition coalition and the choice of platform for the 2027 presidential contest.
Meanwhile, former LP chieftain and Atiku spokesperson Kenneth Okonkwo has also criticised Obi over his decision to leave the opposition coalition and align with the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
Okonkwo alleged that Obi was “lured” away from the coalition and had subsequently become politically constrained within the NDC.
He also maintained that Atiku should be regarded as the leader of the opposition ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
The competing claims reflect the growing divisions and realignments within Nigeria’s opposition as political parties and their leading figures position themselves for the 2027 contest.
