The Labour Party has distanced itself from its 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, over his recent involvement in coalition talks and has reiterated its position on the process for selecting its 2027 presidential flagbearer.
In a statement issued on Monday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, the party criticized reports suggesting that it was celebrating Obi’s alleged declaration to contest the 2027 presidential election under the Labour Party platform.
“The attention of the leadership of the Labour Party has been drawn to the news trending in the media that the party is ‘celebrating’ that its candidate in the 2023 presidential election, Peter Obi has declared his intention to run on the platform of the party in 2027,” the statement read. “I want to state emphatically that I was quoted out of context and therefore, the impression conveyed by the news was erroneous, inaccurate and does not in any way reflect the position and mood in the party.”
The party emphasized that while it is not opposed to Obi or any other individual contesting under its platform, there would be no automatic ticket for any aspirant.
“First, while we are not opposed to anybody running under the platform of the Labour Party in the 2027 general election, we need to make it categorically clear that the party has a long standing rule on how its candidates shall emerge and automatic ticket is not one of the routes,” Ifoh stated.
The party recalled the 2024 National Convention, during which automatic tickets were erroneously granted to its former presidential candidate and the party’s only serving governor (Abia State governor Alex Otti). That decision, the statement confirmed, “has since been rescinded and reversed after consulting the statute books.”
The party also took issue with Obi’s appearance at a meeting of a pro-coalition group in Abuja on Sunday, noting that it occurred “without the permission and consent of the Labour Party leadership.”
“This to us is really confusing and we think that Peter Obi has not come to terms with his intentions for the 2027 presidential race,” the party remarked.
The opposition party reiterated that it will not engage in any coalition or merger ahead of the next general election.
“We have consistently said that Labour Party will not go into any coalition or merger of any sort ahead of 2027 general election, therefore Obi’s continued association with the coalition is not only distasteful but unacceptable to the party.
“It is also an affront to the party leadership and we view his position as a total disregard to the party’s right to make decision bidding its affairs.”
“We are therefore by this statement letting Nigerians know that the presidency for 2027 is open to anyone who wants to run under the platform of the party,” the statement added.
