Onitsha, Anambra State – 12 July 2025
Former Nigerian presidential candidate Peter Obi has thrown his weight behind the Labour Party’s bid for the Anambra State governorship, attending the official campaign launch for the party’s candidate ahead of the November 2025 off-cycle election.
The event, held at All Saints Cathedral field in Onitsha on Friday, saw Obi joined by a host of prominent Labour Party figures, including Senators Victor Umeh and Tony Nwoye, as well as House of Representatives members Hon George Ozodinobi, Prof Lilian Orogbu, and Uche Okonkwo, among other national and state legislators.
Also in attendance were Dr Yunusa Tanko, National Coordinator of the Obidient movement; Mr Ken Pela, Chairman of the Labour Party’s 2023 gubernatorial candidates and the party’s candidate for Delta State; and various other party officials.
The campaign flag-off centred on Chief George Muoghalu, the Labour Party’s gubernatorial candidate for Anambra, and his running mate, Prof Ifeoma Okaro. The gathering marked the formal kick-off of their effort to unseat the incumbent in the south-eastern state’s upcoming poll.
In a statement shared on social media, Obi emphasised his vision for politics as one rooted in “compassion and focusing on the measurable indices of development, education, health and pulling people out of poverty. Caring for the poor.”
He urged party members and supporters to conduct a campaign free from personal attacks, insisting it remain “devoid of name-calling, but strictly based on issues, security of lives, and properties, ensuring better education of our children, supporting the health sector and small businesses.”
Obi’s involvement underscores the Labour Party’s growing momentum in Anambra, a state where he enjoys significant grassroots support following his strong showing in the 2023 presidential election. The off-cycle gubernatorial vote, scheduled for November, is expected to be a keenly contested affair amid ongoing national debates on economic reforms and regional security.
