National Convention: Peter Obi, Gov Otti’s Camps Fight Dirty Over Who Is The Leader Of LP

A power struggle between Abia State Governor Alex Otti and former Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate Peter Obi is exacerbating the ongoing crisis within the party, sources revealed yesterday.

“Governor Otti is expected to be the leader of the party, being the highest-ranking elected figure in the party. But, Obidients believe that Obi is there and he played his role during the last elections,” a party insider stated.

The disagreement between the two influential figures stems from their respective supporters’ conflicting views on who should assume leadership of the party post-election.

“While there is no personal feud between the two chieftains, their followers are locked in conflict over who should be the national leader of the party in the post-election period,” the source explained.

The LP’s tradition dictates that the highest-ranking elected public official assumes leadership of the party. As Otti is the only LP governor, many within the party believe he should automatically become the party leader.

However, supporters of Obi, particularly the ‘Obidients,’ who primarily align themselves with the party due to Obi’s involvement, assert that the former Anambra State governor should lead the party, given his status as a former presidential candidate.

“The bulk of supporters – Obidients – believe that going to Umuahia means dishonoring Obi. The governor of Abia thinks that this is not a good narrative,” the source added.

The LP initially chose Umuahia as the venue for the convention, but vehement objections from Obi loyalists led to a change in plans. The convention is now slated to take place in Nnewi, Anambra State, where Obi served two terms as governor.

“We agreed to go to Nnewi. We don’t want to cancel March 27. The NEC meeting in Asaba last year gave us one year to hold a convention,” the source emphasized.