Labour Party cuts ties with Arabambi over Obi case

The Labour Party has cut ties with its former National Publicity Secretary, Abayomi Arabambi. He took legal action to access the academic and service records of Peter Obi, the presidential candidate for the National Democratic Congress.

On Monday, Ken Asogwa, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, said Arabambi is no longer a member of the party. He was one of 25 members suspended by the National Executive Council in March for alleged anti-party activities.

Asogwa explained that the suspension was confirmed at the party’s National Convention on April 28, 2026. After that, those affected stopped being members of the Labour Party.

The party’s spokesperson said the clarification was needed after reports called Arabambi an LP chieftain. He had sued the West African Examinations Council, the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and the National Youth Service Corps over Obi’s credentials.

He said, "While the Labour Party wishes to refrain from commenting on the substance or otherwise of the litigant’s case before the court, particularly as Mr Peter Obi is not a member of the Party, we wish to notify the general public that Abayomi Arabambi is not a member of the Labour Party."

Asogwa added that since the decision to suspend and later expel the members, "no organ of the Party has sat to revisit or reverse the decision concerning the expelled members."

The party also warned that any claim by Arabambi as a chieftain or representative of the party was not allowed.

"If Arabambi has presented himself to the public as a chieftain or representative of the Labour Party, the general public is hereby notified that such representation is entirely unauthorised and, prima facie, amounts to impersonation," he said.

The spokesman mentioned that the party’s lawyers were looking into the matter for possible legal action. This could include a petition to law enforcement.

This clarification came just a day after the NDC rejected the suits filed by Arabambi. They challenged him to show any proof that Obi’s academic credentials were questionable.

Arabambi filed three separate suits at the Federal High Court in Abuja. He is going after WAEC, UNN, and the NYSC under the Freedom of Information Act.

He wants orders that force these institutions to release official records about certificates allegedly given to Obi.

Arabambi noted that he was not asking the court to decide if the certificates Obi submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission for the 2027 presidential election were real or fake.

Instead, he wants access to the records from the institutions to verify the status and details of the certificates.

In response to the suits, Osa Director, the NDC National Publicity Secretary, told PUNCH Online in an exclusive interview that Obi has a verifiable academic pedigree.

Director questioned the reason for Arabambi’s request for the records. He pointed out that Arabambi admitted he was not challenging the authenticity of Obi’s certificates.