Obi Credentials Battle: LP Threatens Action Over Arabambi
The controversy surrounding the academic and service records of 2027 presidential candidate Peter Obi has taken a fresh political turn, with the Labour Party, LP, distancing itself from Abayomi Arabambi and warning that it may consider legal action over any continued representation of him as a party chieftain.
The development introduces a new dimension to the controversy, shifting attention from Obi’s credentials to Arabambi’s political status and the capacity in which he has pursued the cases seeking access to the former Anambra State governor’s records.
LP National Publicity Secretary, Ken Asogwa, said in a statement on Monday that Arabambi was no longer a member of the party.
According to the party, Arabambi was among 25 members suspended by the LP National Executive Council in March 2026 over alleged anti-party activities.
The party said the decision was subsequently ratified by its National Convention on April 28, 2026, after which those affected ceased to be members.
LP stressed that no organ of the party had since reversed that decision.
The clarification followed media reports describing Arabambi as a Labour Party chieftain in connection with three separate suits he instituted at the Federal High Court in Abuja seeking access to records concerning Obi.
The cases were filed against the West African Examinations Council, WAEC; University of Nigeria, Nsukka, UNN; and National Youth Service Corps, NYSC.
Arabambi is seeking court orders compelling the institutions to release official records relating to certificates attributed to Obi.
However, the Labour Party made it clear that it was not taking a position on the substance of the cases themselves.
The party also noted that Obi is no longer one of its members, having moved on politically ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
What LP strongly objected to was Arabambi being portrayed as acting from within the party.
Asogwa warned that any attempt by Arabambi to present himself as a Labour Party chieftain or representative was unauthorised.
The party said its lawyers were reviewing the situation to determine whether further legal steps or a petition to relevant law enforcement agencies would be appropriate.
The warning potentially opens another front in an already complicated political controversy.
While LP is questioning Arabambi’s status, the three cases he filed concern requests for access to records rather than a judicial determination that Obi’s certificates are forged.
Arabambi has maintained that his objective is to obtain existing institutional records from WAEC, UNN and NYSC to establish the particulars and status of the certificates in question.
The Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, under which Obi is contesting the 2027 presidential election, has also entered the controversy, defending its candidate’s academic pedigree.
NDC National Publicity Secretary Osa Director said Obi’s academic background was verifiable and challenged anyone questioning it to produce evidence supporting such allegations.
The party nevertheless acknowledged Arabambi’s constitutional right to approach the courts.
The latest LP intervention therefore creates two distinct issues.
The first is whether the institutions named in Arabambi’s suits should be compelled under the Freedom of Information Act to release the records he is requesting.
The second is whether Arabambi can legitimately continue to be identified publicly as a Labour Party chieftain following the party’s assertion that he was expelled months ago.
Those questions are likely to attract further attention as the 2027 presidential campaign gathers momentum.
The controversy is particularly significant because Obi’s credentials and political record are increasingly becoming subjects of scrutiny among supporters and opponents ahead of the election.
For now, the Labour Party has deliberately avoided debating the authenticity or otherwise of Obi’s credentials and instead drawn a firm line around Arabambi’s relationship with the party.
The courts, meanwhile, are expected to determine the merits of Arabambi’s requests for the institutional records.
Until those proceedings are concluded or the relevant institutions make the requested documents available, allegations surrounding Obi’s credentials remain claims that should not be presented as established findings.
