Nenadi Usman, interim caretaker committee chairperson of the Labour Party (LP), has said it would be “legally impossible” for Peter Obi, to secure the party’s 2027 presidential ticket.
Usman made the statement on Wednesday night during appearance on Arise Television.
She explained that the party would strictly adhere to provisions of the Electoral Act, particularly regarding the timeline for party registration and candidate eligibility for contest before the primaries.
Peter Obi exited LP in December 2025 for the African Democratic Congress (ADC), where he is one of the hopefuls for the party’s presidential ticket.
Amid a leadership face-off within the ADC, culminating in the derecognition of its factions by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), speculation has grown over Obi’s possible return to the LP.
“It will actually be too late for him to come back,” she said.
“At some point, we close the register, and once we close it 21 days before the primaries and submit the e-register to INEC, you can’t come from behind the door for us to register you and for you to contest. That would be legally impossible.”
Meanwhile, despite her stance, Usman acknowledged Obi’s important role in the party’s rise during the 2023 poll, noting that his candidacy attracted widespread support.
“Peter Obi really took the party to great heights in 2023,” she said, adding that many current members, including herself, joined the LP because of him.
“He convinced me to come with him to the Labour Party. And not just me, many people joined because we believed in equity and fair play,” she stated, noting that dissatisfaction with the zoning decision of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) influenced their defection.
