Top Obi Ally Oseloka Obaze Quits Labour Party, Gives Reasons

Oseloka Obaze, a close ally of Peter Obi and former secretary to the Anambra State Government, has resigned from the Labour Party (LP), citing irregularities in the party’s internal processes. Obaze, who served as a political adviser to Obi and played a significant role in his 2023 presidential campaign, made the announcement in a letter addressed to the LP chairman in Ochuche Ward 406, Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State.

In his resignation letter, Obaze condemned the conduct of the LP’s governorship primary election held on April 5 in Awka, describing the process as marred by “outright irregularities, bordering on fraud and criminality.” He said the primary fell short of the party’s constitution, values, and democratic standards. He also pointed to the unresolved leadership crisis at the national level, particularly the ongoing rift between Julius Abure and Nenadi Usman, as further justification for his departure.

Obaze did not indicate his next political move or whether he intends to join another party. In 2022, he had left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) shortly before Peter Obi’s defection to the LP and subsequently became a key figure in the Obidient Movement.

His resignation follows a series of defections from the LP. Last Wednesday, Titus Odo, the party’s spokesperson in Enugu, and Emeka Mamah, a former commissioner and Obi’s campaign coordinator in the state, both left the LP for the PDP. Earlier on April 8, Eze Gabriel, a member of the Enugu State House of Assembly, also defected to the PDP, a move formally acknowledged by Speaker Uche Ugwu.