The National Spokesperson of the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), Mark Adebayo, has alleged that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is behind the disorganisation and persistent divisions plaguing opposition parties, including the Labour Party and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
Speaking during an appearance on Politics HQ on News Central, Adebayo stated that recent judicial decisions, particularly the Supreme Court ruling concerning the leadership of the Labour Party, underscore the need for internal reconciliation within opposition ranks.
“I believe that the summary of the totality of the Supreme Court judgment is to tell the Labour Party to go back home and settle issues among themselves,” he said. “But if you look at the nitty-gritty of what the honourable justices have delivered, it will be that the Caretaker Committee of the Liberal Party should continue to lead the party.”
He added: “That would be the reasonable conclusion in this case. So for any other person to be coming up, to be shouting or to be celebrating that they are leaders of the party, I don’t think that is here nor there. I believe that Senator Nenadi Usman should be the proper person to now take over and begin to manage the affairs of the Liberal Party, pending the national convention to be planned and programmed by the Caretaker Committee.”
Adebayo further raised concerns over what he described as external interference aimed at weakening opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general election.
“But we must not lose sight of the fact that there are active efforts by external forces to make sure that political parties are controlled,” he noted.
Pressed to elaborate on these “external forces”, Adebayo pointed squarely at the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Presidency.
“I will simply point at the ruling party, simply, especially from the office of the President. I will say that what is happening, we see what is happening in the PDP, we see the same thing happening in the Labour Party, and now it is a major attack on opposition political parties in this country,” he said. “It’s a concentrated attack on opposition political parties to make sure that none of the parties is at peace prior to the 2027 General Election.”
Adebayo acknowledged the complexity of the Supreme Court’s ruling but emphasised that it ultimately charges the party to restore order within.
“To the layman, it’s quite confusing,” he said. “So the summary of it is that, okay, Labour Party, go back home and settle and make peace among yourselves… But who is going to make the peace? It’s going to be the caretaker committee”
He concluded by urging all party members to obey the law and adhere to the ruling.
“Everybody should just respect the law, respect the rules within the internal party rules of the Labour Party, and of course respect the judgment of the Supreme Court of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. There is no higher court than that,” he said. “That is where we can have some modicum of peace in the Labour Party.”
