KEY POINTS
- Labour Party opens 2027 presidential ticket to all members.
- Peter Obi and Alex Otti no longer have reserved tickets.
- Abia State governorship ticket will be contested in 2027.
The Labour Party (LP) has announced that its presidential ticket for the 2027 election will be open to all party members, ending any reservation for its former candidate, Peter Obi.
The declaration was made by embattled National Chairman Julius Abure following a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Abuja.
Party ticket open for all aspirants
During the press briefing, Abure confirmed that the NEC had reviewed an earlier decision to reserve the presidential and governorship tickets for Peter Obi and Alex Otti, respectively.
“All party tickets from the Presidency to the House of Assemblies are open to all qualified Nigerians,” he said. The chairman also ruled out any automatic second-term ticket for Abia State Governor Alex Otti.
He emphasized that the 2027 governorship seat would be open to other aspirants and criticized recent moves by Otti, suggesting they contravened the party’s constitution.
Power struggle within the labour party
Abure went on to challenge the legitimacy of a recent meeting convened by Otti, during which a caretaker committee was reportedly formed. Furthermore, he cited the party’s constitution, stressing that only the National Secretary, with the approval of the National Chairman, holds the authority to call such meetings.
“The Governor of Abia State does not even have the power to call his Ward Executive meeting without the approval and consent of his Ward Chairman,” Abure added.
The Labour Party chairman also cited the Electoral Act, which mandates proper notice to the Commission before any meeting aimed at electing new members or altering party leadership structures.
Defending labour party leadership
Speaking about possible attempts to change the leadership of the party, Abure said, “No governor that we gave a ticket can harass us out of office. ” He also stressed that the NWC, the national officers or any other party organ could not be dissolved by any governor or any other person.
Furthermore, he reiterated his promise of protecting his authority as a political leader of the party after receiving the mandate during the convention held in March 2024.
Punch reported that Abure denounced efforts by Peter Obi and Alex Otti to install a “new leadership” within the party.
He described such actions as betrayal since the Labour Party is a party of unity, not division.
