The leadership of the Labour Party (LP) has asserted that its presidential candidate from the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, is unclear about his intentions ahead of the 2027 polls.
The party’s National Chairman, Julius Abure, in a statement on Monday, signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiorah Ifoh, stated that reports of the party ‘celebrating’ Obi’s declaration to run on its platform in 2027 were false.
It was gathered that Obi may have ruled out his participation in the coalition that would challenge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC), by informing his supporters that he would contest the 2027 general elections under the LP’s banner.
He made this comment while addressing a group of young supporters in a video circulated on Saturday via the party’s WhatsApp platform.
In response to a question about which platform he intended to contest the 2027 elections, Obi stated, “I will continue to run in the Labour Party. I’m a member of the Labour Party.”
However, the party clarified that the impression created by the news regarding the celebration of Obi’s declaration was erroneous and misleading, and did not reflect the party’s stance or mood.
“Firstly, while we are not opposed to anyone running under the Labour Party’s platform in the 2027 general elections, we must make it unequivocally clear that the party has long-standing rules concerning how its candidates shall emerge, and an automatic ticket is not one of those routes.
“Recall that at the party’s National Convention in 2024, the party mistakenly granted automatic tickets to our former presidential candidate and the only governor of the party. However, that decision has since been rescinded and reversed following consultation of the statute books.
“Secondly, His Excellency, Peter Obi, mere hours after he expressed his intention to run under the Labour Party, was seen on Sunday attending a meeting of a pro-coalition group in Abuja without the permission or consent of the Labour Party leadership.
“This, to us, is confusing, and we believe that Peter Obi has yet to come to terms with his intentions for the 2027 presidential race,” Ifoh remarked.
He emphasised that the party had consistently stated that the Labour Party would not engage in any coalition or merger ahead of the 2027 general elections, noting that Obi’s continued association with the alliance was not only distasteful but unacceptable to the party.
He added, “It is also an affront to the party leadership, and we regard his position as a total disregard for the party’s right to make decisions regarding its affairs.
“Therefore, through this statement, we are informing Nigerians that the presidency for 2027 is open to anyone who wishes to run under the party’s platform,” he concluded.
