Peter Obi has officially declared his intention to contest the 2027 presidential election under the Labour Party (LP), sparking a wave of reactions within the party and across Nigeria’s political landscape.
Despite ongoing leadership tussles within the LP, the Julius Abure-led National Working Committee has expressed excitement at the prospect of Obi flying the party’s flag once again.
“We are excited about the news,” said LP’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh. “If we have waited all this while, we can still wait a bit more for everything to crystallise. Politics is about interest, and our interest is in a government that can deliver Nigerians from political, social, and economic crises.”
Obi made his declaration in a viral video over the weekend, stating, “I will still continue to run in the Labour Party. I’m a member of the Labour Party.”
The announcement comes amid an unresolved leadership battle within the party. While Obi and Abia State Governor Alex Otti are reportedly backing a faction seeking to remove Abure, a recent Supreme Court ruling failed to provide clarity on who the party’s legitimate leader is. Nonetheless, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has continued to recognize candidates from the Abure-led faction, including for the upcoming Anambra State governorship election.
When asked whether Obi had reached out to Abure, Ifoh revealed that communication channels between the two remain open.
“There are talks, though not official,” he said. “Obi is from Anambra, and we expect him to play a role in ensuring the Labour Party wins the state. At the right time, all parties will meet to resolve their differences.”
Obi’s renewed bid appears to be causing ripples in the proposed opposition coalition reportedly being championed by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai. Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, expressed surprise at Obi’s announcement, stating he only learned of it recently and suggested questions be directed to Obi.
Addressing the root of internal crises in political parties, Obi blamed government interference, alleging that such conflicts are intentionally fueled by the system.
“In the past, when we had a party issue and Yar’Adua was President, he called the INEC chairman and resolved it. Today, there are problems in every party — these are deliberate problems caused by the system,” he said. “We need strong political parties to have a working democracy.”
Obi encouraged Nigerian youths and the electorate not to be discouraged, saying that meaningful change will always be resisted by beneficiaries of the status quo. He also advocated for the introduction of a retirement age for politicians, revealing that he will be 65 years old by the 2027 elections and has no intention of contesting beyond that age.
With Obi’s 2027 presidential ambition now public, attention turns to how the Labour Party navigates its internal divisions and prepares for the battles ahead.
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