The leadership of the Labour Party (LP) has recently made a firm and clear stance regarding the political ambitions of Peter Obi, the party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 Nigerian general elections. The LP leadership expressed concerns over Obi’s intentions as the country approaches the 2027 presidential elections.
They emphasized that despite Obi’s declaration about contesting under the Labour Party banner in 2027, there is no guarantee or automatic right for him to secure the party’s presidential ticket.
This clarification was made public through a statement issued on Monday by the party’s National Chairman, Julius Abure. The statement was formally signed by the National Publicity Secretary, Obiorah Ifoh, who addressed rumors circulating in the media and social platforms suggesting that the Labour Party was celebrating Obi’s announcement to run again on their platform.
The party leadership categorically rejected these claims as false and misleading, stressing that such reports did not align with the official stance or mood within the party.
Reports indicate that Peter Obi might be distancing himself from a broader coalition effort that aims to challenge the incumbent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Obi reportedly signaled his intention to run solely under the Labour Party ticket for the 2027 general elections. This was conveyed during an interaction with a group of young supporters, a video of which was shared widely on the party’s WhatsApp platform over the weekend.
In the video, when asked directly about the platform under which he plans to contest in 2027, Obi responded affirmatively, stating, “I will continue to run in the Labour Party. I’m a member of the Labour Party.” While this seemed to confirm his allegiance to LP for the upcoming election, the party quickly moved to clarify the implications of his statement.
The Labour Party’s official position is that any impression that the party is endorsing or celebrating Obi’s early declaration is incorrect. The party reiterated that the process for selecting candidates to represent the LP in elections is governed by strict internal rules and statutes. An automatic ticket, which means a guaranteed nomination without the usual vetting or primary elections, is not part of the party’s established candidate selection procedure.
The statement referenced the party’s National Convention held in 2024, where an exception was mistakenly made to grant automatic tickets to Peter Obi and the party’s only sitting governor. However, this exception was later rescinded after reviewing the party’s rulebook, reaffirming that all candidates must go through the standard nomination process.
Further complicating the matter, the party noted that shortly after Obi’s public declaration of intent to run under the Labour Party, he was observed attending a meeting of a pro-coalition group in Abuja on Sunday.
This attendance was reportedly done without the knowledge or approval of the LP leadership, which the party views as a conflicting action. This has raised questions within the party about Obi’s true political intentions and commitment to the party’s rules and collective decisions.
Obiorah Ifoh expressed the leadership’s confusion over Obi’s actions and emphasized that the party believes Obi has not yet fully reconciled his personal political plans with the Labour Party’s collective strategy for 2027.
The party has consistently communicated that it will not enter into any coalitions or mergers ahead of the 2027 elections. Therefore, Obi’s continued association with the coalition movement is seen as inappropriate and unacceptable by the party leadership.
The statement also conveyed a strong message about respect for the party’s autonomy, describing Obi’s unilateral actions as a disregard for the party’s authority and decision-making rights. The leadership made it clear that such behavior is considered an affront to the party and undermines the organizational discipline necessary for electoral success.
The Labour Party leadership reaffirmed that the 2027 presidential candidacy within the party remains open. Any member who wishes to contest must do so by following the party’s established procedures and cannot assume any automatic entitlement to the nomination.
The party’s commitment to a fair and transparent candidate selection process remains paramount as they prepare for the next general elections.