The Labour Party has made a significant decision to reserve its 2027 presidential ticket for its candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, as announced in a communiqué issued after the party’s national convention held in Nnewi, Anambra State.
The communiqué, signed by the National Chairman of the party, Julius Abure, and the party’s National Secretary, Umar Ibrahim, cited Obi’s antecedents before, during, and after the 2023 general election as the basis for this decision. It recommended that the 2027 presidential ticket of the party be solely reserved for Obi, the national leader of the party.
Obi, who contested as the party’s presidential candidate in 2023, came third behind President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress and Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party.
Additionally, the party recommended that the governorship ticket be reserved for the Governor of Abia State, Alex Otti.
The convention, initially planned to be held in Umuahia, Abia State, was moved to Nnewi, Anambra State.
However, this decision comes amidst controversy, as the Nigeria Labour Congress described the convention as illegal and called for Abure’s resignation as party chairman. Despite these calls, Abure was re-elected as the party’s chair during the convention.
In the communiqué, the convention also reviewed the state of the nation, expressing concerns over the security situation and economic challenges faced by Nigeria. It emphasized the need for proactive measures to address inflation, unemployment, hunger, and poverty, calling on President Bola Tinubu to take drastic steps to save the economy from total collapse.