The Labour Party (LP) has described as dubious the allegations by its estranged Publicity Secretary, Abayomi Arabambi, about Peter Obi, the party’s presidential candidate during the 2023 general elections.
Arabambi belongs to the Lamidi Apapa-led faction of the party.According to the party, Arabambi had claimed that Obi was impersonating his dead elder brother and was also after his life.
However, in a statement issued on Monday by the Chief Spokesperson for the Obi-Datti Media, Yunusa Tanko, the LP described the allegation as a farce, a slapstick comedy from hell.
Tanko claimed that Arabambi was at the forefront of malicious hatchet jobbers recruited as political hirelings and buccaneers indulging in menial work of character assassination to soil the name of its presidential candidate.
The spokesman said Arabambi had dubiously continued to identify himself as a member and publicity secretary of LP when he knew he was not a member of the party.
While dismissing the allegations against Obi, Tanko stated that Obi’s most senior brother is still alive, noting that one of his senior brothers who died was at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, UNN, years ahead of him and read computer science while Obi read philosophy.
On Arabambi’s claim that Obi was after his life, Tanko described the claim as laughable, insisting that Obi’s harmless disposition to politics and non-violent posture even in extreme provocation were apparent enough to make the dismissal of such a wild and unsubstantiated accusation baseless.
He, therefore, urged the public and, particularly, the media to treat Apapa and Arabambi as impersonators who go about using the name of the party to say negative things about Peter Obi.
Part of the statement read: “Some political hirelings, buccaneers indulging in menial work of character assassination, have lately been let loose dubiously ostensibly to soil the name of our Presidential candidate, Peter Obi. At the forefront of these malicious hatchet jobbers, is Abayomi Arambabi, who dubiously continues even to identify himself as a member and Publicity Secretary of Labour Party when he knows he is not a member of the party.
“After a series of judgments from the Supreme Court of Nigeria concerning the Labour Party, everything about fictionalisation and crisis in the party was laid to rest.
“But to our greatest shock in the party, many media houses continued to link expelled non-members of the party as members, trying unsuccessfully and needlessly to create a wrong impression about the party.
“Chief Lamidi Apapa and Arambabi have been going about merchandising with the name of the party and endlessly castigating our flag bearer, who we are proud to say is the most popular and loved Nigerian politician today.
“In one of his pieces of fiction, they claimed that Obi was impersonating his dead most senior brother—a farce, a slapstick comedy from hell. Obi’s most senior brother is alive; one of his senior brothers who died was at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, UNN years ahead of Obi and read computer science while Obi read philosophy.
“Arambabi also claims, as his shadow chases him, that Obi is after his life. This is a laughable allegation because OBI’s harmless disposition to politics and his non-violent posture, even in extreme provocation like the blatant stealing of his mandate in cohort with INEC is apparent to make the dismissal of such wild and unsubstantiated accusation baseless.
“As Obi keeps charging people to go ahead and verify his past, a Peter Obi 45 years ago was impromptuly unveiled last weekend by no less a person than the Pope’s Ambassador (Papal Nuncio) to the Czech Republic, a Nigerian, Archbishop Jude Thaddeus Okolo. Speaking off the cuff, the revered clergy testified to how the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, has remained consistent in caring for society for many decades now, stating that it is in Peter Obi’s nature to help and care for those around him.
“This is the man; they are struggling to dent his image but they have not found anything damaging against him but rather have resorted to cooking up lies and fabrication. The National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, is by my side here you all know him is Obiora Ifoh our Acting Publicity Secretary.
“I am, therefore, by this press conference in our national party headquarters urging the public and particularly the media houses to treat this person as Labour Party impersonators which they are.”