The Labour Party (LP) has strongly denied claims made by lawyer Deji Adeyanju in a viral video, in which he alleged that the party had been “bought over” by President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a statement, the National Publicity Secretary of the LP, Obiora Ifoh, demanded an apology from Adeyanju for what the party described as “criminal defamation” and disparaging remarks made against the party and its leadership, particularly its National Chairman, Barrister Julius Abure.
Ifoh rejected the accusations, labeling them as “untrue, lies, and unfounded.” He reiterated that the LP had consistently rejected claims of an alliance with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 elections.
“The Labour Party is the most visible opposition party today, and our National Chairman, Barrister Abure, is the leading voice in the opposition, being highly critical of the present government,” Ifoh said.
He further explained that the LP had worked hard after the 2023 general elections to challenge the status quo, continuously critiquing the government and offering solutions. The party had also initiated the creation of the Electoral Reform Committee to push for fair and transparent election processes and established a Political Education Committee to educate citizens on positive political engagement.
Ifoh emphasized that the LP had made strides in deepening participatory democracy through initiatives such as e-membership registration.
He criticized Adeyanju for spreading what he described as “unguarded and callous” remarks against the party. The LP is demanding that Adeyanju provide evidence to support his claims or retract his statements and apologize for the harm caused.
“Adeyanju’s assertions have caused the Labour Party significant harm, and we call on him to cease any further actions that could damage the party’s reputation,” Ifoh said. “We view his viral comments as criminal defamation, and we demand that he either provide proof or apologize to the leadership and millions of Labour Party members.”
