The Labour Party (LP) has clarified that there will be no automatic presidential ticket for any aspirant ahead of the 2027 general elections, including its 2023 flag bearer, Peter Obi.
The party made this known on Monday through its National Publicity Secretary, Obiorah Ifoh, in response to remarks by Obi during a recent event in Abuja, where he hinted at the possibility of running again under the LP platform, stating it would be “for now.”
Reacting to media reports suggesting the party was “celebrating” Obi’s declaration, Ifoh said such reports misrepresented both his comments and the party’s official stance.
“The attention of the leadership of the Labour Party has been drawn to the news trending in the media that the party is ‘celebrating’ that its candidate in the 2023 presidential election, Peter Obi, has declared his intention to run on the platform of the party in 2027,” Ifoh stated.
“I want to state emphatically that I was quoted out of context and therefore, the impression conveyed by the news was erroneous, inaccurate, and does not in any way reflect the position and mood in the party.”
Ifoh emphasized that while the party welcomes all aspirants, it remains committed to due process and internal democratic principles in selecting its candidates.
“First, while we are not opposed to anybody running under the platform of the Labour Party in the 2027 general election, we need to make it categorically clear that the party has a long-standing rule on how its candidates shall emerge — and automatic ticket is not one of the routes,” he added.
He also recalled that during the party’s National Convention in 2024, the LP had mistakenly granted automatic tickets to its 2023 presidential candidate and its only serving governor — a decision that was later reversed after reviewing the party’s constitution.
The statement underscores the LP’s intention to uphold transparent nomination procedures as it prepares for the next electoral cycle.
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