LP Chair: Why Peter Obi Can’t Return for 2027 Race

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) — The interim National Chairman of the Labour Party, Nenadi Usman, says the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, cannot return to contest the 2027 election on its platform.

Speaking on Arise TV, Usman explained that the party’s membership register would be closed 21 days before its primaries, in line with the Electoral Act.

She said once the register is submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), no new member can be added.

“It will be too late for him to come back. Once we close the register and submit it to INEC, it is legally impossible to register anyone new for the election,” she said.

Usman acknowledged Obi’s role in boosting the party’s popularity in 2023, noting that he persuaded her and many others to join the Labour Party from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

She said her decision to leave the PDP was based on fairness, arguing that the party should have zoned its presidential ticket to the South.

The Labour Party has been facing a prolonged leadership crisis since the 2023 general election. The dispute involved rival factions led by Usman and former national chairman, Julius Abure.

In April 2025, the Supreme Court ruled that Abure’s tenure had expired. A Federal High Court in Abuja later removed him from office and directed INEC to recognise Usman’s leadership pending a national convention.

The Court of Appeal also upheld Usman’s position and instructed INEC to deal only with her faction. However, Abure has said he will challenge the ruling at the Supreme Court.

The crisis has weakened the party, leading to defections, loss of lawmakers, and a reduced grassroots structure.

Obi had earlier cited the internal crisis as one of the reasons for leaving the party. Meanwhile, Usman’s leadership has begun membership revalidation and has zoned the party’s 2027 presidential ticket to the South.

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