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Valentine Ozigbo's exit from the Labour Party has allegedly continued to cause rancour within the party's ranks in Anambra State. Fresh revelations indicate that his departure has triggered a major collapse of the power blocs that "schemed against him."
Party insiders told Pulse that Ozigbo’s decision to quit the Labour Party and join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) was not just a personal political move but a direct fallout of a web of betrayals and high-level manipulations orchestrated by key figures within the Labour Party.
The alleged masterminds of the said manipulation include Tony Nwoye, the senator representing Anambra North, Oseloka Obaze, a former aide to Peter Obi, and Chief Clement Ojukwu, the Labour Party National Organising Secretary.
Reliable party sources claimed that the Labour Party's de facto leader, Obi, is now grappling with deep regret for allowing himself to be swayed by the scheming, which ultimately cost the party its most formidable aspirant. Many elected members in the National and State Assemblies are said to be plotting to follow Ozigbo to the APC.
Prior to his exit, Ozigbo was widely regarded as the main contender for the Labour Party governorship ticket in Anambra, given his political credentials, wide support base, and personal network of backers, which gave him an edge over other aspirants.
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The gist in Anambra political circles was that Governor Charles Soludo and the late Senator Ifeanyi Ubah were considering joining the Labour Party from the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and Young People's Party (YPP), respectively, but held back because Ozigbo was destined to clinch the ticket.
According to sources close to the matter, events, however, took a different turn when the trio of Nwoye, Obaze, and Ojukwu allegedly systematically worked to block Ozigbo’s path. The anonymous source claimed that Ojukwu acted as a mole, consistently creating friction within the party to frustrate Ozigbo’s chances.
Chief John Chukwuma, a Labour Party chieftain from Ogbaru LGA, was quoted as having alleged that Obaze's alleged involvement in the plot was driven by pure envy and personal rivalry.
"After failing to win the 2017 governorship election under Peter Obi’s sponsorship — coming a distant third — Obaze harboured deep resentment towards Ozigbo, who outperformed him in 2021, emerging as first runner-up with an impressive showing," the local party chieftain was quoted as saying.
The source further explained that Obaze’s alleged plot was to neutralise Ozigbo to clear the path for his preferred aspirant, John Nwosu, who is largely considered within the party as a political lightweight with no electoral value.
Have Obi and Ozigbo parted ways?
If the sources were correct, it appears indisputable that the three accused chieftains succeeded in alienating Ozigbo from Obi. Multiple sources said Ozigbo was shocked and disappointed when Obi suddenly became distant, avoiding his calls and sidestepping every effort to have a meeting.
A source from Ozigbo's camp told this reporter that he began receiving disturbing reports from trusted allies, who told him that the former Anambra State Governor was privately discrediting him and discouraging potential supporters from backing his aspiration.
ALSO READ: I'm still an Obidient - Valentine Ozigbo declares, despite joining APC
Beyond this, Obi reportedly refused to intervene when Nwoye, in collaboration with Ojukwu, hijacked the party congresses in Anambra in June 2024, further alienating Ozigbo.
When contacted by this writer, Obaze denied knowledge of any scheme against Ozigbo within the Labour Party or being part of any plan to push the erstwhile Group CEO of Transcorp Plc out of the party.
"I, Oseloka Obaze, was not an accessory to any scheme, in whatever way, shape or form, to cause a rift between Ozigbo and Obi or to force Ozigbo out of the Labour Party," he told this reporter in a phone conversation.
The Labour Party chieftain clarified that he harbours no ill will towards Ozigbo, recalling that he donated to his campaign in the 2021 Anambra governorship election.
Obaze said that though Ozigbo didn't inform him before leaving the Labour Party, they remain good friends and he wishes him well in his political journey.
Obaze also denied the allegation that he pushed out Ozigbo to pave the way for Nwosu. He said all the Labour Party aspirants consulted him regarding their ambitions, but only Nwosu asked him to be his campaign director.
For his part, Ojukwu distanced himself from the allegation, saying he had nothing to do with Ozigbo. He noted that the APC aspirant never consulted him before joining the Labour Party, nor did he consult him when he decided to leave.
"I'm not interested in this topic. Go and ask Ozigbo why he left the Labour Party; he's the only one who can explain that," he told this reporter via phone call.
Sources from Ozigbo's camp alleged that Obi was in secret collaboration with Governor Soludo to frustrate Ozigbo’s ambition. However, Pulse can't independently confirm this as calls to Obi's phone haven't gone through as of the time of filing this report.
Did Obi try to sabotage Ozigbo?
ALSO READ: It's time to build something new - Another Obi ally, Ozigbo dumps Labour Party
Meanwhile, reports say a key turning point was the party’s refusal to zone the governorship ticket to Anambra South. This move would have naturally cleared the path for Ozigbo and disqualified Nwoye, who is from the North senatorial zone.
Observers say that refusal, coupled with the unending leadership crisis in the LP, was the final betrayal that pushed Ozigbo to begin rethinking his future in the Labour Party.
Ojukwu also allegedly attempted to compel the party's State leadership to sack Ozigbo and Senator Victor Umeh, the lawmaker representing Anambra Central, or anyone they feared would stand in their way.
Ojukwu repeatedly debunked all these allegations to this reporter.
Disillusioned by what he saw as the ultimate backstabbing from his political family, Ozigbo quietly made his move, defecting to the APC. This decision sent shockwaves through Anambra and Nigeria’s political landscape.
Ironically, no sooner had Ozigbo left than those who worked against him began to fall apart. Ojukwu, who was allegedly at the heart of the scheming, turned against Nwoye and threatened to expel him from the party.
He was also said to have influenced the Labour Party National Working Committee to zone the ticket to Anambra South finally — the same move they had previously resisted when Ozigbo was in the race — and threw his weight behind a fellow Nnewi man, George Moghalu, former Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), a new entrant to the party.
Those close to the matter said the sudden shift has sparked fresh turmoil within LP, as Nwoye’s supporters, furious at the perceived betrayal, have vowed to fight back.
Emeka Okonkwo, a known supporter of Nwoye, confirmed the simmering tensions, warning that if the party leadership insists on backing Moghalu, they will do everything possible to ensure his loss in the election.
Meanwhile, feelers say Obi, having realised how the political ground has shifted and now conscious of the error of judgement, has made several attempts to mend fences with Ozigbo.
When contacted, a media aide to Obi said that his principal had expressed his feelings about Ozigbo in an X post on March 29, 2025.
"As for Valentine Ozigbo, I maintain that he, like every other aspirant, should be evaluated based on these key leadership qualities in his new political party. Elections and primaries should not be reduced to toxic narratives or personal attacks," the post partly read.
When asked the same question at a media parley with select news media in Onitsha last weekend, Obi suggested that this tweet was a reconciliatory overture.
But sources close to Ozigbo say the wounds of betrayal are still too fresh and the pain too deep. According to them, Ozigbo has made it clear that he is focusing on the election ahead of him.
When reached for comment, Aziza Uko, Director of Media and Communications for Valentine Ozigbo’s Campaign Organisation, told this reporter that, "We have put our time in the Labour Party behind us and are looking forward.
“Val Ozigbo is fully self-authorised. Nobody teleguides him, and he thinks carefully before making decisions. When he said bye-bye to LP, he meant it. There’s no looking back."