The Chairman of the Labour Party, Nenadi Usman, has clarified that the window for Peter Obi to return and run for the presidency under the party’s banner ahead of the 2027 elections is effectively closed. Speaking during a recent interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time, Usman pointed to strict electoral guidelines and internal party procedures that now make such a comeback impossible.
According to Usman, the legal framework governing elections leaves very little room for late-minute entries. She explained that the party is required to finalize its membership register and submit it to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) well in advance. As reported by Zoyols News, she noted that once the e-register is closed 21 days before the primaries, there is no back-door way to register a candidate for a contest.
While addressing the technical barriers, Usman did not shy away from acknowledging the massive impact Peter Obi had on the party’s fortunes during the previous general election. She admitted that the former presidential candidate was the primary reason many people, including herself, joined the Labour Party. She noted that at this moment, no other member of the party commands the kind of political momentum that Obi brought to the table.
Sharing her personal journey into the party, Usman revealed that her departure from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was fueled by a desire for equity. Despite being from the North herself, she felt it was unfair for the PDP to leave the presidential ticket open rather than zoning it to the South. This dissatisfaction, she said, is what led her and many others to follow Obi into the Labour Party in search of fairness.
The situation presents a significant hurdle for the party as it looks toward 2027. Zoyols News understands that while the party leadership recognizes the vacuum left by Obi’s potential absence from their ticket, the legal and procedural deadlines established by the current Electoral Act remain immovable. For now, it appears the Labour Party is preparing to navigate the next election cycle within these rigid administrative constraints.
