Nenadi Usman, chairperson of the Labour Party (LP) caretaker committee, says her leadership of the party has endorsed Peter Obi’s involvement in coalition meetings ahead of the 2027 elections.
Obi, the LP’s presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, has been attending political coalition meetings aimed at unseating the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027.
Earlier on Monday, the Julius Abure-led faction of the LP criticised Obi for participating in the coalition meetings, claiming that the former presidential candidate did not seek the party’s approval.
The Abure-led LP said Obi’s continued association with the coalition is “distasteful and unacceptable” to the party.
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However, in a statement issued by Ken Asogwa, her senior special adviser on media, Usman said Obi has the party’s support.
“To be clear, the national caretaker committee of the Labour Party, under the able leadership of distinguished senator Nenadi Usman, expressly approved and endorsed Peter Obi’s participation in the ongoing patriotic convergence of well-meaning Nigerians committed to dismantling the rudderless Tinubu administration,” the statement reads.
“It is worth reiterating that Obi has consistently maintained that his interest lies solely in a coalition focused on eradicating hunger, insecurity, and poor governance — a vision that aligns squarely with the founding principles and aspirations of the Labour Party.
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“It is therefore baffling that individuals who have been shown the exit door for their anti-party activities now seek to question a move so clearly rooted in national interest.
“One is left wondering whose agenda Julius Abure and his cohorts have truly been advancing.
“Is it that they disagree with Obi and the Labour Party that Nigeria is presently facing an unprecedented crisis requiring collective action to salvage?”
Usman said the party “wholeheartedly welcomes” the Nigerian-driven coalition movement, noting that Obi can run for the 2027 presidency under LP if the coalition deal fails to materialise.
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The former minister added that Abure is a former member of LP and has no authority to speak for the party.
The LP has been entangled in a leadership crisis for months, with Abure, Usman, and Callistus Okafor each claiming to be the party’s legitimate leader.
