Labour Party Rules Out Northern Presidential Candidate, Zones Ticket to South

The Labour Party has declared that it will not field a presidential candidate from the northern region, insisting that its ticket for the next general election has been zoned to the South.

The party’s interim National Chairman, Nenadi Usman, made the disclosure on Tuesday while addressing journalists after a meeting between the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and political leaders.

Usman stated that the party would not lobby or persuade individuals to contest on its platform, noting that interested aspirants must come forward voluntarily.

“Well, it all depends on whoever wants to use the Labour Party, because we cannot go out there and beg people, please come and use the Labour Party to contest elections. It’s never done,” she said.

She added that the party has taken a firm position on zoning, ruling out any aspirant from the North.

“We have one certain decision that we have taken, and that is to say that we will certainly not field any aspirant from northern Nigeria.

“We have zoned the position to southern Nigeria. So if any northerner comes now to contest, we certainly will not accept that,” she stated.

Usman, however, declined to name a preferred candidate, stressing that the party would adhere to internal democratic processes in selecting its flag bearer.

“But as for who, I can’t tell you now, because then it wouldn’t be democratic anymore. We’re supposed to have and practice internal democracy.

“When the aspirants come, whoever the people like and vote for during the primaries, then that person will be the winner,” she added.

The party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and his running mate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, contested under the Labour Party platform, although Obi has since defected to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).