LP Chairman: Too Late For Obi To Contest Under The Party

The Interim National Chairman of the Labour Party, Senator Nenadi Usman has disclosed that it’s too late for the party’s 2023 Presidential candidate, Peter Obi to contest the 2027 presidential election under the party.

The LP Chairman said Obi is statute barred from contesting the election under the party’s banner per the 2026 Electoral Act, which provides that all political parties in the country must have their register closed before its primaries and submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

Usman, a former Minister of Finance made the remark during an interview with Arise TV, saying the LP must close its membership Register before May 10, a situation that makes it impossible for him to return to the party.

Obi left the party few months ago and joined the African Democratic Congress, ADC, the party that’s not embattled due to some legal encumbrances which have hindered the Coalition party.

As speculation mount that the ADC may be exempted from the 2027 ballot, Obi has been suggested to be planning to leave the party for another party, to achieve his presidential ambition next year. The former Anambra state governor, had confirmed this speculation few days ago after he said ADC may not be his last bust stop. Once the ADC failed to do the right thing in choosing its presidential candidate, Obi said he’s not bound to remain in the party.

But Usman said the former presidential candidate cannot pursue his presidential ambition in the party based on the provision of the Electoral Act which has statutorily barred him.

Usman: “Well it will be too late actually for him (Obi)to come back because if you look at the act now, at some point we close the register.

“Once we close the register 21 days before primaries, submit the register, the e-register to INEC, you can’t come from behind the door for us to register you and for you to contest the elections. That would be impossible, legally impossible anyway.”