The Labour Party (LP) leadership has stated that no automatic tickets would be offered to any aspirant ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking to Punch, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Obiora Ifoh, said that even its most recognisable figure, former presidential candidate Peter Obi, must go through competitive primaries if he chooses to return to the fold.
He disclosed that Obi had kept his distance from the current leadership of the party for about a year, but stated that the party remained open to reconciliation with the former governor and other aggrieved stakeholders.
His statement comes amidst intensifying uncertainty over Obi’s political direction and the deepening rift between the former Anambra governor and the Julius Abure-led LP leadership.
He said, “We have answered this question several times. The Labour Party has constantly said that the issue of tickets will be determined at the party’s convention. The NEC has spoken concerning our presidential candidacy.
“Every candidate must emerge through a democratically convened convention. There is no automatic ticket for anyone, whether as presidential, governorship or chairmanship aspirants.
“We have said that Obi’s position in Labour Party can only be answered by him. Nobody can speak for him. Whether he is in the ADC or Labour Party, he is the only one that can answer that question.
“The only thing that we know is that in the last one year, he has not really spoken with the current leadership. And we take it like that because not only him, so many other persons have also not done much.”
On why the recent NEC meeting did not address the Obi matter, Ifoh explained that the session was dedicated to kick-starting congresses and primaries.
“The NEC meeting we had was to kick-start our congresses, which we have conducted successfully. It was extremely successful. Did you see some of our viral videos and pictures? But in Abia State, there was a court injunction, which we, as a party, upheld and obeyed.
“Everything is going on well with us. We have conducted primaries in the Ekiti State. We will soon repeat same in Osun and INEC is working with us. The commission monitored everything. They gave us key codes to upload our candidates.
“So we don’t really have a problem. We are already moving and we are hoping that by 2027, we would have achieved everything we ser to do,” he added.