2027 Presidency: Labour Party speaks on ‘replacing’ Peter Obi

Ahead of the 2027 general election, the Labour Party has dismissed rumours making the rounds that it plans to replace Peter Obi as its presidential candidate.

In a statement jointly signed by the head, Directorate on Mobilization and Integration, Marcel Ngogbehei; the Deputy Director of Media and Communications, Aju Elumelu; and the Deputy Director of Strategic Engagement, Sheikh Rufai Al-Saddiq, the party denied reports of a rift and affirmed its commitment to Obi’s candidacy.

The directorate acknowledged efforts to reconcile aggrieved groups within the party but emphasized that no agreement had been reached to replace Obi.

It emphasised the party’s unity and cohesion behind Obi, who has been ratified as the presidential candidate for the 2027 election.

The statement reads: “The leadership and members of our great party recognize the importance of peaceful coexistence among brothers and acknowledge the fact that there’s a bigger target—liberating Nigeria from the shackles of greedy politicians and building a nation that protects the interests of its citizens.

“The party has decided to follow a peaceful approach to resolving internal misunderstandings. This effort within the Labour Party and its successes have elicited different reactions; we have also seen an attempt by the opposition to make a false spin for their own selfish interests, misinforming the general public with the aim of causing more crises in our party.

“For the record, this directorate was set up to facilitate reconciliation and help mobilize and integrate Labour Party stakeholders toward electoral victory for our presidential candidate, Peter Obi, in 2027.

“The party leadership recognizes the need for unity and cohesion within the party as a requirement for internal stability and improving the winning chances of H.E. Peter Obi in the upcoming 2027 elections.

“We have reached out through various channels to different stakeholders, and discussions are still ongoing on various fronts; we are also making great progress in this endeavor. To misconstrue this effort as being against our presidential candidate is unfortunate.”