The Labour Party (LP) has clarified that there will be no automatic presidential ticket for any aspirant ahead of the 2027 general elections, including its 2023 flagbearer, Peter Obi.
This clarification was made on Monday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiorah Ifoh, following Obi’s recent remarks suggesting he may again contest under the LP banner.
Speaking during an event in Abuja, Obi stated he would consider running on the Labour Party platform “for now,” prompting widespread speculation about his return as the party’s standard-bearer.
Reacting to the development, Ifoh stressed that the party is open to all aspirants but maintains a clear nomination process that rules out automatic candidacies.
“The attention of the leadership of the Labour Party has been drawn to media reports suggesting the party is ‘celebrating’ Peter Obi’s potential return as our 2027 presidential candidate,” Ifoh said in a statement. “I want to state emphatically that I was quoted out of context. The impression conveyed by such reports is erroneous, inaccurate, and does not reflect the position or mood within the party.”
He reaffirmed that the LP remains committed to internal democracy and due process.
“While we are not opposed to anyone seeking to contest under our platform in 2027, the Labour Party has a longstanding policy on candidate emergence. An automatic ticket is not part of that process,” he noted.
Ifoh also referenced the party’s 2024 National Convention, where an automatic ticket was initially granted to Obi and the party’s only sitting governor. However, that decision was later reversed after a review of the party’s constitution and internal statutes.
The statement underscores the party’s commitment to fair competition and internal democratic procedures ahead of the next election cycle.
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