Akpabio to Obi: Fix Labour Party Crisis Before Dreaming of Presidency

 

The political war of words just got hotter.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has clapped back at Peter Obi, the former Labour Party presidential candidate, urging him to “put his house in order” before aiming for Nigeria’s top job.

Akpabio’s remarks, made on Thursday, May 8, come in direct response to Obi’s emotional critique of Nigeria’s current state, where he boldly declared that “the labours of our heroes past are now in vain.” Obi made this statement during a memorial lecture in honor of Niger Delta elder statesman Edwin Clark, where he painted a grim picture of a nation in democratic decline and economic despair.

Obi’s speech questioned the selective silence of Nigerian protesters, calling out the fact that public outrage was loud under Goodluck Jonathan’s modest fuel hikes yet eerily absent in today’s harsher conditions.

“Jonathan raised fuel from N87 to N120 and there were protests. Today, we’re at N900 and nobody’s protesting. So why are we pretending the labours of our heroes past are not in vain?” Obi asked.

He also cited UNICEF data showing over 2 million malnourished Nigerian children, stating bluntly: “That’s not de-marketing Nigeria. That’s the reality.”

But Akpabio wasn’t having it.

At a separate event, he took a direct shot at Obi’s credibility, referencing the ongoing internal crisis within the Labour Party.

“If you can’t fix the crisis in your small party, how can you fix Boko Haram or other national issues?” Akpabio said.

He also defended the legacy of leaders like Edwin Clark, arguing that their sacrifices cannot be written off so easily.

“The labours of Clark and others are not in vain. I urge those aspiring to lead Nigeria to first address issues within their own parties,” he added, touting his own achievements like dual carriageways, digital government offices, and faith-based pilgrimage sponsorships.