Factional National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Barr. Julius Abure, has said the party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, lacks the authority to negotiate any sort of coalition with any group on behalf of the party ahead of the 2027 polls.
Abure also said contrary to speculations in some quarters that the party was celebrating Obi’s declaration that he would contest the 2027 elections on the party’s platform, the party’s ticket has since been thrown open.
National Publicity Secretary of the LP faction, Obiora Ifoh, said this in a statement in Abuja on Monday.
He said, “We have consistently said that Labour Party will not go into any coalition or merger of any sort ahead of 2027 general election.
“Therefore, Obi’s continued association with the coalition is not only distasteful but also unacceptable to the party.
“It is also an affront to the party leadership, and we view his position as a total disregard to the party’s right to make decisions about its affairs.
“While we are not opposed to anybody running under the platform of the Labour Party in the 2027 general election, we need to make it categorically clear that the party has a longstanding rule on how its candidates shall emerge, and automatic ticket is not one of the routes.
“Recall that at the party’s National Convention in 2024, the party had erroneously granted automatic tickets to our former presidential candidate and the only governor of the party, however, that decision has since been rescinded and reversed after consulting the statute books.
“His Excellency, Peter Obi, hours after he spoke of his intention to run under the Labour Party, was on Sunday (yesterday) seen in a meeting of a pro-coalition group in Abuja without the permission and consent of the Labour Party leadership.
“This to us, is really confusing, and we think that Peter Obi has not come to terms with his intentions for the 2027 presidential race.
“We are therefore by this statement letting Nigerians know that the presidency for 2027 is open to anyone who wants to run under the platform of the party.”
