The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, has assured his supporters that he will contest the 2027 general election on the party’s platform.
Truth Live News gathered that the enigma gave the assurance while addressing a group of young supporters in a 7-minute, 16-second video circulating on the party’s WhatsApp platform on Saturday.
“I will still continue to run in the Labour Party. I’m a member of the Labour Party,” Obi said in response to a question about which platform he intended to use for the next presidential election.
His statement comes after months of intense speculation about his political future. Since the 2023 election, where Obi emerged third with a strong youth-backed movement, there have been persistent rumours that he might return to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) or align with a proposed mega opposition coalition alongside the PDP and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP). These speculations gained traction as internal divisions rocked both the Labour Party and the PDP, leading to fears of realignments ahead of the 2027 elections.
Adding fuel to the speculation, there were also reports that Obi had agreed to run as vice president under a joint ticket with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the PDP. The rumoured “dream ticket” was touted as a potential unifying force for the opposition. However, Obi consistently denied such claims, maintaining that he had no interest in playing a secondary role in any ticket and reaffirming his commitment to building a viable alternative platform for Nigerians.
While answering a question from a youth who was concerned about his perceived aloofness towards the Labour Party’s crisis, the former Anambra State Governor stated that what appears to be an internal crisis in both the LP and PDP was orchestrated by forces within the government.
“What is happening in the Labour Party and the PDP is caused by the government. Quote me anywhere,” Obi declared.
He recalled a similar scenario during the presidency of Umaru Musa Yar’Adua when, according to him, efforts were made to ensure internal democracy. “We had a problem in our party before, in the past. Yar’Adua was the president. I went to him then; he called the INEC Chairman (Prof. Maurice Iwu) and told him I don’t want any problem in any party. We were forced to fix it. But today, in all the parties, there are problems. These are deliberate problems caused by the system. These are some of the things I want to clean up if I have the opportunity. Parties will function very well because you can’t have a system working without a strong opposition.”
He urged Nigerians to take personal responsibility in safeguarding democracy and ensuring their votes count. “Even if agents are paid by political parties to look after their interests, the ultimate decision about the people’s votes counting rests with voters,” he said.
Obi also advised youths and voters not to lose hope, warning that those who benefit from the current system will resist positive change. He reiterated his view that there should be a retirement age for those seeking public office. “By the time the 2027 election holds, I’ll be 65 years old. I don’t want to be contesting elections in my 70s,” he added.
With his latest statement, Peter Obi appears to have drawn a line under the swirling rumours of defection or acceptance of a vice presidential role. His reaffirmation of loyalty to the Labour Party positions him as a consistent voice for democratic reform and a continued challenger to the country’s status quo.