The Labour Party (LP) has distanced itself from Abayomi Arabambi following reports that he instituted separate lawsuits against the West African Examinations Council, the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and the National Youth Service Corps over the academic records of Peter Obi.
The party said Arabambi is no longer a member and therefore has no authority to present himself as an LP chieftain or representative in connection with the cases.
The clarification was issued by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Ken Eluma Asogwa, in Abuja on Monday.
Party says Arabambi ceased to be a member
According to Asogwa, the party’s National Executive Council suspended 25 members on March 18, 2026, over alleged infractions involving anti-party activities.
Arabambi was among those suspended.
The suspension was subsequently ratified by the party’s National Convention on April 28, 2026, which the party described as its highest decision-making organ.
Asogwa said no organ of the party had reversed the decision and that the affected members therefore ceased to be members of the LP.
The party consequently rejected descriptions of Arabambi as an “LP chieftain” in reports about the court action.
LP distances itself from the substance of the case
The party was careful to distinguish its position on Arabambi’s membership from the substance of the legal proceedings.
Asogwa said the LP was not commenting on the merits of the claims involving Obi’s academic records.
He stressed that the party’s statement was intended to clarify Arabambi’s status and should not be interpreted as the party taking a position on the court case itself.
That distinction is significant because Obi himself is no longer a member of the Labour Party.
He is now the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) for the 2027 election.
A dispute dating back to 2023
Arabambi’s questions about Obi’s credentials are not new.
During the 2023 election cycle, he publicly questioned variations in the names appearing on documents attributed to Obi.
PUNCH reported at the time that the WAEC certificate carried “Obi Gregory Onwubuasi,” while the UNN certificate bore “Gregory Peter Onwubuasi Obi” and the NYSC certificate carried “Obi, Gregory Peter-Onwubuasi.”
Obi’s political camp rejected the allegations.
Yunusa Tanko, then spokesman for the Obi-Datti campaign, said the claims were false and argued that Obi had not impersonated his late brother or used another person’s university certificate.
New legal phase
The latest court actions represent a new phase of the dispute.
Arabambi is seeking access to official records held by WAEC, UNN and NYSC, rather than relying solely on political statements about the documents.
The courts will therefore have to determine the legal questions arising from his requests.
At this stage, it is important to distinguish between a request to inspect or obtain official records and proof of wrongdoing.
No finding of forgery or academic misconduct has been established by the courts based on the information currently available.
Political implications
The dispute comes at a sensitive moment in Nigerian politics.
Obi is preparing for another presidential campaign after his strong third-place performance in the 2023 election, while political parties are already intensifying preparations for 2027.
Questions concerning presidential candidates’ qualifications can quickly become politically significant, especially when they involve documents required for electoral qualification.
The latest dispute is therefore likely to remain in the political spotlight as the court proceedings develop.
For the Labour Party, however, the immediate concern is to make clear that Arabambi is acting independently and does not represent the party.