Labour Party (LP) has announced that it has reserved its 2027 presidential ticket for the party’s leader, Peter Obi.

This decision was made at the party’s National Convention held in Nnewi, Anambra State, on Wednesday, where the embattled party chairman, Julius Abure, was re-elected alongside seven other party executives, including the National Secretary, Umar Faruk Ibrahim.

The communiqué signed by Abure and Ibrahim also stated that Abia State Governor Alex Otti has the right of first refusal for the Abia State Governorship ticket should he decide to seek re-election on the party’s platform.

The LP convention, which was held in Anambra after being moved from Edo and later from Abia states, was attended by notable party members, including Governor Otti’s deputy, Ikechukwu Emetu, who chaired the convention. However, party leader Peter Obi and Senators Victor Umeh and Tony Nwoye were notably absent.

Other serving officers of the party were also returned, apart from the suspended National Treasurer, Ms. Oluchi Opara, who was replaced with Mrs. Ngozi Doga.

The convention also empowered the National Working Committee (NWC) to fill existing vacancies in the NWC and NEC. This decision followed the dropping of 14 NWC members for non-performance or having served out the allowable number of years as stipulated in the party’s constitution. One such member is Innocent Sunday Okeke (Agumba), the immediate past Assistant National Chairman (South East), who stepped down after serving out the allowable two terms.

Clement Ojukwu, the former national organizing secretary, is now the Deputy National Chairman of the party, according to the new appointments made at the convention.

Recall that in the build-up to the convention, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) had called for Abure’s resignation as party chairman and the immediate constitution of a caretaker transition committee to organize a legitimate and all-inclusive national convention for the party.

Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it did not monitor the party’s convention.

Rotimi Oyekanmi, Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, confirmed the development when contacted.

“INEC did not monitor the Labour Party (LP) convention in Anambra State,” Oyekanmi said, but declined further comments.

But senior sources in INEC told one of our reporters that the monitoring of a party’s national convention is one of the mandatory requirements to validate the legality or otherwise of such a programme.

The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Obiora Ifoh, did not respond to the inquiry when confronted with INEC’s position.

Daily Trust