By Sochima Agbo 

The Labour Party has declared that its former presidential candidate, Peter Obi, will not be eligible to contest the 2027 presidential election under its platform due to legal constraints tied to party membership regulations.

The party’s interim national chairman, Nenadi Usman, disclosed this during an interview on Arise TV, explaining that provisions of the Electoral Act make it impossible for Obi to rejoin the party in time to participate in its primaries.

According to Usman, the party is required to close its membership register at least 21 days before its primaries and submit the updated list to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). She stressed that once this process is completed, no new member can be added to contest.

“It will be too late for him to come back,” she said. “Once we close the register and submit it to INEC, it becomes legally impossible for anyone to be registered afterward for the purpose of contesting elections.”

Usman acknowledged Obi’s pivotal role in boosting the party’s popularity ahead of the 2023 elections, noting that he influenced her own defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), along with many others who joined the Labour Party at the time.

She explained that her departure from the PDP was driven by concerns over fairness, particularly the party’s decision not to zone its presidential ticket to the South.

The Labour Party has been grappling with an internal leadership crisis since its strong showing in the 2023 general elections. The dispute, which centered on rival claims to the party’s leadership, saw Usman’s caretaker committee clash with the faction led by former national chairman, Julius Abure.

A series of court rulings reshaped the leadership structure. The Supreme Court ruled in April 2025 that Abure’s tenure had expired, while a Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to recognise only Usman’s leadership pending a national convention. The Court of Appeal later upheld this decision, though Abure has indicated plans to approach the Supreme Court.

The protracted crisis has weakened the party, leading to defections, diminished legislative strength, and a strained grassroots network. Obi himself cited the internal turmoil as a factor in his decision to exit the party.

In a bid to reposition for the 2027 elections, the Labour Party has commenced membership revalidation and zoned its presidential ticket to the South, even as uncertainty continues to trail its internal legal battles.