The Labour Party has effectively ruled out any comeback bid by its former presidential candidate, Peter Obi, ahead of the 2027 election, declaring that its internal processes leave no room for late entrants.
The party’s interim caretaker committee chairperson, Nenadi Usman, made the position clear during an appearance on ARISE Television, stressing that Obi’s defection to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) last year has effectively foreclosed any immediate pathway back.
Framing the issue as one of procedure rather than politics, Usman said the party’s primary election framework is binding once key deadlines are triggered, particularly the closure of its membership register and submission to the Independent National Electoral Commission.
“It will actually be too late for him to come back. At some point, we close the register, and once we close it 21 days before the primaries and submit the e-register to INEC, you can’t come from behind the door for us to register you and for you to contest. That would be legally impossible,” she said.
Despite the hardline stance, Usman acknowledged Obi’s impact on the party’s rise in the 2023 election cycle, noting that his candidacy drove a wave of new entrants.
“Peter Obi really took the party to great heights in 2023,” she said. “He convinced me to come with him to the Labour Party. And not just me, many people joined because we believed in equity and fair play.”
The declaration comes at a pivotal moment for the party, following a Court of Appeal ruling that dismissed a challenge by Julius Abure over the party’s leadership tussle—an outcome Usman said strengthens the legitimacy of the caretaker structure and clears the way for internal reforms.
She accused rival factions of deploying the courts to undermine party stability.
“It was a case to destabilise the party. You see one person filing nothing less than eight cases in eight different courts across eight different states, all seeking one relief. That is an abuse of court processes,” she noted.
With the legal hurdle out of the way, the party is now shifting focus to rebuilding its structures, with congresses scheduled ahead of a national convention in Umuahia, Abia State. Usman said efforts are underway to reconcile all factions, including those aligned with Abure.
“We’ve extended an olive branch. We just want to build the party,” she said.
In a broader message that appeared to target personality-driven politics, Usman warned against attempts to dominate party structures indefinitely.
“We don’t want anybody to perpetuate themselves as chairman for life. Leadership in a political party has a tenure, you come, you go, but the party should remain,” she added.
She insisted that the party’s future would be anchored on institutional strength rather than individual influence.
“The Labour Party is not tied to any one person. By the time we gather for the convention, we will see a more united party,” she submitted.
