The Labour Party’s interim national chairman, Senator Nenadi Usman, has said that the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, may be unable to contest the 2027 general election on the party’s platform due to membership registration rules and electoral timelines.
Speaking in an interview on Arise TV, Usman explained that the party would close its membership register 21 days before its primaries, in line with electoral requirements, and submit the final list to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
She said once the register is closed, no new entrants, including high-profile figures, would be allowed to join the party or participate in its primaries.
According to her, this means it would be “legally impossible” for anyone who is not already on the register before the deadline to contest under the party’s platform.
Usman acknowledged that Peter Obi played a major role in the party’s strong performance in the 2023 elections, adding that his influence attracted many new members, including herself, into the Labour Party from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
She also said her own defection to the Labour Party was influenced by Obi’s call for political fairness and zoning considerations ahead of the 2023 polls.
Usman noted that the party’s internal reforms, including ongoing membership revalidation and leadership restructuring, are part of efforts to stabilize the party ahead of future elections.
The comments come amid prolonged leadership disputes within the Labour Party, which have seen competing court rulings. A Supreme Court decision in 2025 and subsequent judgments by the Court of Appeal had affirmed Usman’s faction as the recognised leadership, with the Independent National Electoral Commission expected to relate with her committee.
INEC has yet to make any further clarification regarding the party’s final structure ahead of the 2027 elections.
