Labour Party (LP) factional National Chairman, Callistus Okafor, has announced his departure from the party while declaring that the party's 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, lacks the capacity to lead Nigeria.

Okafor made this declaration on Thursday during a press conference in Abuja where he officially announced his exit from the Labour Party, citing unresolved leadership tussles and disappointment with Peter Obi's handling of party affairs.

"My team and I had carefully looked at what is happening in the Labour Party, including the crises that have been going on for seven years, and wondered how long it will continue," Okafor stated during the briefing.

According to Okafor, the decision to leave the party followed extensive deliberations by his faction's National Working Committee and National Executive Council. He claimed that approximately five million supporters would be leaving with him to join Team Wazobia Nigeria, which he described as a socio-political and non-partisan movement.

"I hereby stand today to announce to Nigerians and all the Labour Party faithful who are under my own faction that we are pulling out today as a team. We are moving from the Labour Party to Team Wazobia Nigeria. This crisis has come to a point where it's no longer healthy in the Labour Party," he added.

In a direct criticism of the former presidential candidate, Okafor blamed Peter Obi for failing to resolve the lingering leadership crisis within the party. He suggested that Obi's inaction on internal party matters raised serious questions about his capacity to govern a complex country like Nigeria.

The Labour Party has been embroiled in leadership disputes for several years, with multiple factions claiming legitimate authority over the party structure. This latest development further highlights the internal challenges facing the party that emerged as a significant third force during the 2023 general elections.

As of the time of this report, Peter Obi and the mainstream Labour Party leadership are yet to respond to Okafor's allegations and his departure from the party.