Senator Nenadi Usman, the interim national chairman of the Labour Party, has stated that the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, would be legally unable to contest the 2027 election on the party’s platform if he fails to meet membership registration deadlines stipulated in the Electoral Act.
In an interview with Arise TV on Wednesday, Usman explained that the party’s membership register would be closed 21 days before its primaries and submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). According to her, once this process is completed, no new registrations can be accepted, making it “legally impossible” for anyone—including Obi—to join the party at a later stage and still contest under its platform.
Usman acknowledged Obi’s significant role in boosting the party’s performance during the 2023 general elections, revealing that he had personally persuaded her and many others to defect from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the Labour Party. She explained that her decision to leave the PDP was driven by concerns over fairness, particularly the party’s failure to zone its presidential ticket to the southern region.
The Labour Party has faced a prolonged leadership crisis since the 2023 elections, marked by rival claims to its national chairmanship. The dispute primarily involved Usman’s caretaker committee and the faction led by former national chairman Julius Abure, who challenged the legitimacy of the interim leadership.
In April 2025, the Supreme Court ruled that Abure’s tenure had expired. This was followed by a Federal High Court decision in Abuja that removed him from office and directed INEC to recognise only Usman’s committee as the legitimate leadership pending a national convention. Usman’s faction subsequently took control of the party’s national secretariat in Utako, Abuja, amid allegations of vandalism and document theft against Abure’s supporters.
More recently, the Court of Appeal in Abuja dismissed Abure’s challenge and unanimously affirmed Usman as interim chairman, instructing INEC to engage exclusively with her faction. However, Abure has indicated plans to appeal to the Supreme Court, meaning the legal battle remains unresolved.
The ongoing crisis has significantly weakened the party, leading to mass defections, a reduced presence in the National Assembly, and diminished grassroots support. Obi himself cited the internal instability as a key factor in his decision to leave the party. Meanwhile, Usman’s leadership has initiated a membership revalidation exercise and zoned the Labour Party’s 2027 presidential ticket to the southern region.
