The Labour Party (LP) has ruled out the possibility of its 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, returning to contest the 2027 election on its platform, citing legal constraints tied to membership deadlines.
The party’s interim national chairman, Nenadi Usman, disclosed this during an appearance on Arise Television, where she explained that the Electoral Act sets strict timelines for party registration processes ahead of primaries.
Usman said the LP would close its membership register 21 days before its primaries and submit the updated list to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), leaving no room for late entrants.
She stressed that once the register is submitted, it becomes legally impossible to admit new members for the purpose of contesting elections, effectively shutting the door on any late political realignments.
According to her, even Obi, who was instrumental to the party’s rise in the 2023 general election, would not be exempt from the provisions of the law.
Usman acknowledged that the former Anambra governor played a key role in attracting members to the LP, including herself and several others who defected from rival parties ahead of the last election.
She noted that many of those defections were driven by concerns over equity and the perceived imbalance in the zoning arrangement of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the time.
The LP has since been entangled in a protracted leadership crisis, which has tested its internal cohesion and political stability following its strong 2023 performance.
A series of court rulings removed former national chairman Julius Abure and affirmed Usman’s caretaker committee as the recognised leadership pending a national convention.
Despite lingering legal battles, the Usman-led leadership has begun membership revalidation and reaffirmed its zoning decision, allocating the party’s 2027 presidential ticket to the southern region.
