The Labour Party has reignited debate over opposition unity ahead of the 2027 general election, with a faction loyal to Peter Obi and Abia State Governor Alex Otti insisting that only a united front can unseat President Bola Tinubu.

Speaking in an interview with our correspondent, the LP?s Interim National Publicity Secretary, Prince Tony Akeni, urged former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to shelve his presidential ambition and throw his weight behind Obi if he genuinely seeks to rescue Nigeria from ?the agony of misrule.?

?If Atiku can go deep inside his soul and demonstrate that he truly loves this country by standing up to support Obi for the presidency, he can then choose anybody of his choice?even his last born?as the vice-presidential candidate,? he said.

?Tinubu will be the easiest incumbent in the world to defeat in 2027. The only thing that can prevent that is if Atiku insists that he must be president at all costs.?

Akeni described opposition unity as the only antidote to what he termed ?the tragedy of divided ambition? that had repeatedly handed victory to the ruling party.

He also said Tinubu?s administration was ?overloaded with greed and defections,? warning that the ruling All Progressives Congress was heading for implosion.

?I have no fear about a one-party state. What should be conveyed to Tinubu and his brinksmen is sympathy. Let him know that we of the Labour Party sympathize with him because he is carrying, with this decamping domino, a nest of soldier ants into his scrotum,? Akeni said.

?When the crash comes, he should remember that we said so and accept our sympathy in advance. What he is doing is overloading his boat, which hunger is already tearing apart in the country.?

Akeni also praised Obi?s leadership qualities, likening him to Singapore?s late Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew, who transformed his country through discipline, meritocracy, and national vision.

?If Obi is able to assemble patriotic Nigerians whose spirit embraces the entire country, not ethnic lines, he will make a difference,? he added.

However, Atiku, who contested the 2023 presidential election under the Peoples Democratic Party and finished second behind Tinubu, has in recent interviews ruled out stepping down for Obi or any other opposition candidate.

Instead, the former vice president has proposed a broad coalition among opposition parties ahead of 2027, saying leadership should be determined through consultation rather than personal sacrifice.

Reacting separately, the LP?s Deputy National Chairman, Ayo Olorunfemi, dismissed fears of a looming one-party state or the collapse of democracy before 2027.

?If there is no election, then there is anarchy. What we are seeing is not anarchy; it?s simply politics. People are responsible for their choices. If they decide to give everything to APC, that is their choice?and they will live with the consequences,? Olorunfemi said.

?Nigerians are already suffering from the consequences of their choice in 2015. Are we not??

The Labour Party, which rose to prominence in 2023 after Obi?s strong performance at the polls, remains divided between the Julius Abure-led National Working Committee and the Obi-Otti faction?a rift that continues to shape its strategy as it eyes the 2027 elections. (The PUNCH)

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