The Interim National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Nenadi Usman, has declared that it would be “legally impossible” for the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to secure the party’s ticket for the 2027 general election, insisting that the window for such a return has already closed under electoral rules.
Usman, who spoke on Wednesday night during an interview on Arise Television, said the party’s constitution and guidelines do not permit late entries into its primaries once the register of eligible aspirants has been submitted to the electoral umpire.
According to her, the Labour Party has already closed its membership register ahead of its planned primaries in line with regulations of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“At some point, we close the register. Once we close it 21 days before the primaries and submit the e-register to INEC, you can’t come from behind the door for us to register you and for you to contest. That would be legally impossible,” she said.
Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, contested the 2023 presidential election on the LP platform, finishing third behind former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and President Bola Tinubu.
He, however, exited the party in December 2025 for the African Democratic Congress (ADC), where he is currently considered a frontline contender for its presidential ticket.
Despite ruling out his return on legal grounds, Usman acknowledged Obi’s pivotal role in the LP’s 2023 electoral breakthrough, saying his candidacy significantly boosted the party’s national visibility.
“Peter Obi really took the party to great heights in 2023. He convinced me to come with him to the Labour Party. And not just me, many people joined because we believed in equity and fair play,” she said, attributing the influx of members partly to dissatisfaction with zoning arrangements in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
‘Abuse of court process to destabilise LP’
Usman also weighed in on the party’s prolonged leadership dispute, describing ongoing litigations as deliberate attempts to destabilise the LP structure.
Her comments follow a recent judgment of the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which dismissed an appeal filed by factional chairman Julius Abure, challenging earlier rulings on the party’s leadership.
The appellate court had upheld the decision of the lower court, affirming INEC’s recognition of Usman’s leadership.
Reacting, she accused opponents of engaging in forum shopping and multiple litigations across jurisdictions.
“It was a case to destabilise the party. You see one person filing nothing less than eight cases in eight different courts across eight different states, all seeking one relief. That is an abuse of court process,” she said.
The LP interim chairman disclosed that INEC recently conducted a verification exercise at the party’s national secretariat, which she said was successful and witnessed participation from various stakeholders, including former officials of rival factions.
She added that the party would soon commence congresses nationwide, culminating in a national convention scheduled to hold in Umuahia, Abia State.
According to her, all factions, including the Abure-led group, have been invited as part of reconciliation efforts aimed at restoring unity.
“We’ve extended an olive branch. We just want to build the party,” she said.
Usman further stressed that the Labour Party’s survival must not be tied to any individual, warning against attempts to personalise its leadership.
“We don’t want anybody to perpetuate themselves as chairman for life. Leadership in a political party has a tenure — you come, you go, but the party should remain,” she said.
She expressed optimism that the forthcoming convention would reposition the party as a united political platform ahead of the 2027 elections.
“The Labour Party is not tied to any one person. By the time we gather for the convention, we will see a more united party,” she added.
