Labour Party’s embattled National Chairman, Julius Abure, has announced that the party’s presidential ticket for the 2027 election is no longer exclusively reserved for Peter Obi, the party’s former presidential candidate. Speaking after the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Abuja on Monday, Abure clarified that the 2027 ticket would be open to all qualified party members.
Abure explained that the NEC reviewed and reversed an earlier decision that had reserved the presidential and governorship tickets for Peter Obi and Abia State Governor Alex Otti, respectively. “All party tickets, from the presidency to the House of Assemblies, are now open to all qualified Nigerians,” Abure said.
He also emphasized that Governor Alex Otti would not automatically receive a second-term ticket and that the Abia governorship seat would also be open to other aspirants within the party. Furthermore, Abure criticized Otti’s involvement in convening a stakeholders’ meeting that led to the appointment of a caretaker committee, stressing that Otti lacked the constitutional authority to call such meetings without the approval of the National Chairman.
Abure denounced the governor’s actions and reiterated that no governor has the power to dissolve party structures such as the National Working Committee (NWC), state councils, or local government councils. He vowed to defend his mandate as party chairman, which was confirmed at the March 2024 party convention.
He warned against attempts to divide the party, referencing an “illegal gathering” in Abia State that sought to install new leadership. Abure characterized these actions, led by Peter Obi and Alex Otti, as not only illegal but also a betrayal of the party’s principles of unity and loyalty.
News Editor