LP affirms Arabambi’s expulsion from party  

The 2027 presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has raised fresh concerns over the poor state of Nigeria’s Primary Healthcare (PHC) system.
 
Obi was reacting to a report that 97 per cent of assessed PHCs in 16 states failed to meet the national staffing standard.
 
He said the figure was more than a statistic, warning that it could reflect the wider condition of PHCs nationwide. According to him, about 80 per cent of PHCs in the country are not functioning effectively.
Obi said the situation poses a serious threat to Nigerians, especially pregnant women, children and people in rural communities.
 
“Behind every understaffed PHC is a pregnant woman who might not receive timely care, and a child who could die from a preventable illness,” he said.
 
The former Anambra State governor described healthcare as one of the clearest measures of national development. He said Nigeria could not build a healthy and productive population when its primary healthcare facilities lacked the personnel needed to provide basic medical care.
 
Obi also criticised the use of physical infrastructure as the major measure of development.
 
“Progress is not best measured by flyovers, new bus stops, or airports that are rarely used,” he said.
 
He argued that government performance should instead be measured by the number of lives saved, functional health centres, available health workers and the quality of care provided to citizens.
Obi said healthcare must not become a privilege reserved for wealthy Nigerians.
 
“It is a basic responsibility of government,” he said. He called for greater investment in primary healthcare, recruitment and retention of health workers, and improved access to affordable and quality medical services.
 
“We cannot create a New Nigeria while allowing our people to die from issues that a functioning Primary Healthcare system should prevent,” Obi said.
 
He added that every Nigerian, regardless of location or income, should have access to quality and affordable healthcare. “A New Nigeria is POssible,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Labour Party(LP) has disowned Abayomi Arabambi, the man who reportedly instituted a suit over the Obi’s academic records, insisting that he is no longer a member of the party.
 
The party made the clarification in a statement issued yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Ken Eluma Asogwa, following media reports describing Arabambi as an LP chieftain.

Some reports had identified Arabambi as an LP chieftain in connection with a legal action involving the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka over Obi’s academic records.
 
But the LP said the description was inaccurate, stressing that Arabambi ceased to be a member of the party following his suspension and subsequent expulsion.
 
According to the party, its National Executive Council suspended 25 members, including Arabambi, on March 18, 2026, over alleged infractions bordering on anti-party activities.
 
The suspension, it added, was ratified by the party’s National Convention on April 28, 2026, after which the affected individuals ceased to be members.
 
The LP said no organ of the party had subsequently reversed or reviewed the decision concerning the expelled members.