- Obi blamed politicians for tampering with party structures and undermining the credibility of political platforms in the country.
- He said political parties should be built to endure and not centred around individuals or electoral cycles.
The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, has urged Nigerians to prioritise the development of political parties that are law-abiding and institutional in nature.
Obi made the call during the public launch of two books authored by veteran journalist, Ike Abonyi.
The books are titled The Bubbles of Nigeria’s Democracy: The Musings of a Nigerian Journalist and Wadata Wonders: Memoirs of a Partisan Journalist.
Obi, who governed Anambra State for eight years, said the country needs party structures that are built to survive beyond individual ambitions.
He noted that many public officials have contributed to the weakening of political parties by meddling in their internal affairs.
According to him, political institutions should be robust and function independently of those holding public office.
“We are working hard to build that new Nigeria where we are going to have political parties that will outlive us, that is organised, that will be bigger than the government,” Obi said.
“Because, as it is narrated here, we now have a situation where those of us who are opportune to be in government, have helped to ruin the parties.
“Let’s hope that one day, we will have parties that are bigger than government, that will run the way parties are run in other nations of the world and will be law-abiding.”
The former governor also encouraged writers and journalists to continue documenting Nigeria’s political journey.
He said the insights they provide are critical to shaping civic understanding and national discourse.
Meanwhile, both the Labour Party and the Peoples Democratic Party have remained embroiled in internal wrangling since the conclusion of the 2023 general elections.
Legal tussles between members of both parties have further deepened the cracks as preparations for the 2027 polls gradually build up.