The leadership of the Labour Party has said it may be too late for its former presidential candidate Peter Obi to return to the party ahead of the 2027 elections, citing strict electoral timelines.
The party’s interim national chairman, Nenadi Usman, stated that legal and procedural constraints would make any late comeback by Obi “impossible” once party processes are concluded.
Speaking during an interview, Usman explained that the party’s membership register would be closed and submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in line with regulations, leaving no room for late entrants.
“Well, it will be too late actually for him to come back because if you look at the act now, at some point we close the register,” she said.
She added: “Once we close the register 21 days before primaries… you can’t come from behind the door for us to register you… that would be impossible, legally impossible anyway.”
Obi, who contested the 2023 presidential election under the Labour Party (Nigeria), later defected to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), a move that reshaped opposition alignments ahead of the next electoral cycle.
Despite ruling out a late return, Usman acknowledged Obi’s influence in the party’s growth, noting that he played a key role in attracting members ahead of the last election.
“Even me, he convinced me… and many people… because we believed in equity and fair play,” she said, reflecting on her own defection to the party at the time.
