The Labour Party’s National Working Committee, led by Julius Abure, has expressed enthusiasm over Peter Obi’s declaration that he will contest the 2027 presidential election under the party’s banner.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, disclosed this during an interview with The PUNCH on Sunday, May 25, following Obi’s affirmation over the weekend that he remains a Labour Party member and intends to run again on its platform.
Obi made the announcement while addressing supporters in a viral video. Asked which party he planned to contest with in 2027, he said, “I will still continue to run in the Labour Party. I’m a member of the Labour Party.”
Ifoh said the news has lifted spirits within the party. “We are excited about the news. If we have waited all these while for two years with all the things that happened, we can still wait for tomorrow and the next, for the whole thing to crystallise. Then we can now begin to talk about the way forward,” he said.
“Let me start by saying politics is all about interest. The interest of every Nigerian, including the Labour Party, is to have a government that can help Nigerians come out of the doldrums and not enter into more crises, whether political, social or economic.
“I believe there are so many Nigerians who have that capacity and who can also help Nigeria come out. In 2023, we gave Peter Obi the ticket and he didn’t disappoint. Rather, the system disappointed them.”
On the strained relationship between Obi and the Abure-led faction, Ifoh confirmed that while the lines of communication are not entirely closed, talks have remained informal.
“Well, as I said elsewhere, the line of communication is not completely blocked. There are talks, though not formal. But before the 2027 poll, don’t forget that we have Anambra elections a few months from now.
“Obi is from Anambra and we expect him to play a key role in making sure that the Labour Party wins the state. So, there has been rapprochement here and there. I think at the right time, the parties will meet and thrash all the differences. From there, we’ll move on.
“If he so wishes, as he said, that he will run the next election under the Labour Party, I think it’s a good thing for us in the party. It’s a win-win situation for everyone and we wait to see how we act the talk,” he added.
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Obi’s declaration appears to be sending ripples through the opposition coalition led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and ex-Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai.
Reacting to the news, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation and a member of the coalition, Babachir Lawal, said, “I don’t know what is in his mind. You need to ask Obi himself when you see him.
“I just read it today too that he will be contesting in LP,” he stated.
In the video message, Obi criticised what he described as government-fuelled crises within political parties. “What is happening in the Labour Party and the PDP is caused by the government, quote me anywhere,” he said.
“We had a problem in our party before, in the past. Yar’Adua was the President. I went to him then; he called the INEC chairman (Prof. Maurice Iwu) and told him I don’t want any problem in any party. We were forced to fix it.
“But today, in all the parties, there are problems; these are deliberate problems caused by the system. These are some of the things I want to clean up if I have the opportunity.
“Parties will function very well because you can’t have a system working without a strong opposition.”
He also urged Nigerians not to give up hope for change. “Even if agents are paid by political parties to look after their interests, the ultimate decision about whether the people’s votes count rests with voters,” Obi said.
He appealed to Nigerian youths not to be discouraged. According to him, efforts to improve governance will always face pushback from those benefiting from the current system.
Obi added that a retirement age should be introduced for politicians. He said he would be 65 by the next election and does not intend to run for office in his 70s.