Chief Oseloka Obaze, a former Secretary to the Anambra State Government and close ally of Labour Party’s Peter Obi, has resigned from the party over “anti-democratic actions” and allegedly “betrayal of trust” by Obi.
Obaze, a seasoned diplomat and politician with experience working at the United Nations and a stint as a governorship candidate in Anambra under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2017, expressed his disillusionment in a formal letter to the Labour Party Chairman.
The letter, dated Sunday, specifically highlighted Obaze’s deep disappointment with the Labour Party’s governorship primary in Anambra, which took place on April 5, 2025. Obaze described the primary process as “deeply flawed” and lacking credibility, suggesting that the party’s internal democracy was compromised.
This criticism implies significant dissatisfaction with how the party conducted its internal elections, potentially pointing to issues such as unfair candidate selection processes or lack of transparency.
Obaze wrote, “The processes, conduct and outcome of the Labour Party governorship primaries held on April 5, 2025, in Awka were fraught with outright irregularities, bordering on fraud and criminality. It was not in tandem with either the party’s constitution and espoused core values or true tenets of democracy.”
A source told SaharaReporters that, “Oseloka Obaze approached his former boss, Peter Obi, several times to clarify his position on the Labour Party’s 2025 Anambra governorship ticket. Obi repeatedly assured him that he would remain neutral in the party’s primary. Based on those assurances, Obaze agreed to serve as chairman of John Nwosu’s campaign organisation, one of the aspirants in the Labour Party primary.
“It was a day before the primaries that Mr. Obaze learned Peter Obi had deceived him all along. The primary process lacked any semblance of internal democracy—no delegate congresses were held, and Moghalu emerged unopposed in a tainted and manipulated exercise.”
“The most painful part that led Obaze to sever ties with Peter Obi and resign was the complete lack of internal democracy in the Labour Party’s governorship primary.
“There was no delegates’ congress, and the process itself was a farce. As a result, George Moghalu emerged unopposed in an election riddled with corruption and manipulation, with Peter Obi’s active involvement. This was the final straw for Obaze, who chose to resign and distance himself from Obi in order to preserve his integrity.
“It’s worth noting that Obaze was a seasoned diplomat at the United Nations before Peter Obi approached him in 2012, urging him to resign from the UN to help restructure his government. Obaze agreed and was subsequently appointed SSG in the same year.”
By resigning and criticizing the party’s actions under Peter Obi’s leadership, Obaze’s move could have implications for the Labour Party’s image and internal cohesion in Anambra State. His resignation letter serves as a formal declaration of his grievances and marks a significant departure given his background as a close ally of Obi.