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The Labour Party has granted Peter Obi the right of first refusal for its presidential ticket in the 2027 general elections.
Recall Obi flew the Labour Party banner in the 2023 presidential election, where he finished third behind President Bola Tinubu and Atiku Abubakar of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), respectively.
The party, in a communiqué issued after its national convention held in Nnewi, Anambra State, on Wednesday, March 27, 2024, said the former Anambra State Governor has proven himself worthy of the ticket.
The communiqué, signed by the National Chairman of the party, Julius Abure, and the party’s National Secretary, Umar Ibrahim, said Obi's conduct before, during and after the 2023 elections informed the decision to accord him the honour.
“The convention in session, based on the antecedents of the presidential candidate before, during and after the 2023 general election, recommend that the 2027 presidential ticket of the party be solely reserved for His Excellency, Mr Peter Gregory Obi, the national leader of the party,” the statement read.
In the same vein, the Labour Party also recommended that Abia State Governor Alex Otti be allowed to represent it in the next election.
Otti is the only serving governor on the platform of the party.
The convention, initially scheduled to be held in Umuahia, was moved to Nnewi, a town in Obi's home state.
This was after the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) described the exercise as illegal, calling for Abure’s resignation as party chairman.
Despite the protestations by the NCL, the Labour Party re-elected Abure as the party chair on Wednesday.
The communique further read, “The national convention reviewed the state of the nation and concluded that it is not grabbing power that matters but what you do with it.
“After the 2023 general election, the security situation of the nation has not improved as there is a geometrical increase in numbers of lives lost and the economy has worsened as the standard and conditions of living of the Nigerian populace has continue to deteriorate.
“Inflation is skyrocketing, unemployment rate is high, this has led to massive hunger and poverty in the land. This is a result of the continuous devaluation of the currency and increase in petroleum product prices.”