In a strongly worded statement released today, the Rescue Movement for a New Nigeria, a key platform within the Labour Party, has publicly condemned recent remarks by the party’s former National Treasurer, Ms. Oluchi Opara.
The group described her rebuttal to earlier comments made by His Excellency Faduri Oluwadare Joseph as “baseless,” “misinformed,” and “shameful.”
The controversy began after Ms. Opara issued a rebuttal rejecting the narrative that Faduri Joseph played a central role in the Labour Party’s revival ahead of the 2023 elections.
Joseph had earlier described the party’s current internal crisis as “poetic justice,” which sparked backlash from some quarters, including Opara.
In the statement signed by Rev. Emmanuel Olorunmagba, National Media Director of the Rescue Movement for New Nigeria, the group expressed dismay that a former party treasurer could “publicly claim ignorance” of Faduri Joseph’s pivotal role in repositioning the Labour Party and contesting as a presidential aspirant in 2022.
“Her statements are riddled with misinformation,” the Rescue Movement declared. “For one who was supposed to be in charge of the party’s treasury to claim not to know that Faduri paid for his Expression of Interest and Nomination Form is laughable. Even Lai Mohammed would not tell such a lie,” the group stated.
The Rescue Movement reiterated that Faduri Joseph was not only a registered aspirant but was present at the Labour Party presidential primary held in Asaba, Delta State, in 2022. There, Joseph and Professor Pat Utomi both stepped down to support Peter Obi’s emergence as the party’s presidential candidate.
“Can one who was not an aspirant be compelled to step down for another?” the statement questioned, adding that visual evidence—including photographs of Joseph and Utomi lifting Obi’s hand—is publicly available. The group also emphasized that Joseph’s contributions to the party were widely covered by national media, including Channels TV, AIT, Arise TV, and major newspapers.
The Rescue Movement further accused Ms. Opara of exhibiting “detachment and unseriousness” during her tenure, claiming she had failed to consult records or key stakeholders such as former National Secretary Dr. Abayomi Arabambi before making what they called “misleading claims.”
On Tribalism and the Obidient Movement
In a bold intervention, the statement also addressed growing concerns around ethnic sentiments within the Labour Party, particularly among members of the Obidient Movement—many of whom are of Igbo descent.
While acknowledging the enthusiasm and passion the Obidient Movement brought into the party, the Rescue Movement warned that ethnic posturing had alienated broader national support during the 2023 elections. The group reminded supporters that the Labour Party is not an ethnic or regional party.
“One of our mistakes in 2023 was allowing the public perception that the party was pushing an ‘Igbo agenda.’ This must never happen again,” the statement read.
They clarified that the Obidient Movement originated from the broader Rescue Movement for a New Nigeria—a platform co-founded by Faduri Joseph and other Nigerians in the diaspora, encompassing all ethnic groups.
A Call for Unity
The Rescue Movement used the occasion to call for reconciliation within the Labour Party, urging stakeholders to set aside ego, tribal bias, and internal wrangling.
They emphasized that unity is critical to mounting a credible challenge against the current APC-led government in the 2027 general elections.
“A house divided against itself cannot stand,” the group stated. “We need one party, one voice, one vision.”
The statement concluded with a demand for Ms. Opara to “retrace her steps, seek the truth, and issue a public apology.”
According to the Rescue Movement, only through honesty, accountability, and national interest can the Labour Party position itself for leadership and reclaim its relevance on the national stage.
