Former presidential candidate and ex-governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, has accused Bola Tinubu’s administration of instigating and sustaining the ongoing leadership crisis within the Labour Party. Obi made this claim during an interview on Arise Television’s Morning Show on Monday, June 9, 2025.
Obi, who represented the Labour Party in the 2023 presidential election, stated that the internal turmoil rocking the party is not organic but rather the result of deliberate interference by the current federal government. He lamented that Nigeria has become a country dominated by “propaganda and lies,” alleging that the government manufactures discord to destabilize opposition parties.
“The problem we have in Labour Party is a problem instigated and sustained by the government of today,” Obi asserted. He criticized the environment where party leaders publicly insult one another, referencing recent derogatory remarks made by a party chairman towards a state governor. Obi questioned the sincerity and unity within the party, suggesting that the ongoing crisis is not due to internal weakness but external manipulation.
He continued, “This is what you get always in Nigeria, because we now live in a country of propaganda and lies and they manufacture it… You speak the truth and they call you names. And we now live in a country of propaganda and lies. They are trying to put problems everywhere, they want to even put problems in families.”
Obi’s comments have intensified the debate over the Labour Party’s future and the role of the federal government in opposition politics. The party, which emerged as a formidable force in the 2023 elections, has been plagued by leadership disputes and public disagreements among its top officials.
Political analysts say Obi’s allegations, if true, raise serious concerns about the health of Nigeria’s democracy and the ability of opposition parties to operate freely without undue interference. The Tinubu administration has not yet responded to Obi’s accusations.