The Labour Party’s interim National Chairman, Nenadi Usman, has declared that the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, may be legally barred from contesting the 2027 election on its platform due to strict membership registration timelines.
Speaking during an interview on Arise TV, Usman explained that the party’s membership register would be closed 21 days before its primaries and subsequently submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), making late entry impossible.
“Once we close the register and submit it to INEC, you can’t come from behind to register and contest. That would be legally impossible,” she stated.
Usman acknowledged Obi’s pivotal role in the party’s rise during the 2023 elections, revealing that he personally convinced her and several others to defect from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the Labour Party.
She noted that her departure from the PDP was driven by concerns over fairness, particularly the party’s decision not to zone its presidential ticket to the South.
The development comes amid a prolonged leadership crisis within the Labour Party, which has seen factions battle for control following its strong 2023 performance. The dispute initially pitched Usman’s caretaker committee against loyalists of former chairman Julius Abure.
A ruling by the Supreme Court of Nigeria in April 2025 declared Abure’s tenure expired, while subsequent judgments by lower courts affirmed Usman’s leadership and directed INEC to recognise her faction pending a national convention.
Despite these rulings, the crisis remains unresolved, with Abure seeking further legal redress. The internal turmoil has triggered defections, weakened the party’s grassroots structure, and reduced its presence in the National Assembly.
Obi, who recently distanced himself from the party, cited the lingering leadership crisis as a key factor in his decision. Meanwhile, Usman’s camp has commenced membership revalidation and zoned the party’s 2027 presidential ticket to the South, setting the stage for a contentious pre-election period.
Elijah Adeyemi
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