Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi, has confirmed that he will again seek the presidency in the 2027 general election, under the platform of the Labour Party. He also hinted that the upcoming contest could be his final attempt at Nigeria’s highest office.
Obi made the declaration in a video message in circulation on LP’s WhatsApp platforms.
Addressing a group of young supporters, he reaffirmed his commitment to the Labour Party amid speculations of his involvement in an opposition alliance.
“I will still continue to run in the Labour Party. I’m a member of the Labour Party,” Obi stated in response to a direct question about his political platform for 2027.
His comments come amid reports of a potential opposition coalition involving political figures such as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai. The proposed coalition was allegedly leaning toward adopting the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as its platform.
Obi said that the recent internal crisis within the LP and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may have been orchestrated by external forces aligned with the current administration.
“What is happening in the Labour Party and the PDP is caused by the government, quote me anywhere,” he said.
“We had a problem in our party before, in the past. Yar’Adua was the president. I went to him then; he called the INEC Chairman (Prof. Maurice Iwu) and told him I don’t want any problem in any party. We were forced to fix it.”
“But today, in all the parties, there are problems; these are deliberate problems caused by the system. These are some of the things I want to clean up if I have the opportunity.
“Parties will function very well because you can’t have a system working without a strong opposition.”
Obi urged Nigerians, especially the youth, to take an active role in safeguarding democracy and ensuring electoral transparency.
The former Anambra State governor further called for structural political reforms, including age limits for elective positions.
He revealed that he would be 65 years old by the next general election and hinted at retirement from active politics thereafter.
According to him, by the time the 2027 election holds, he will be 65 and he does not want to be contesting elections in his 70s.
