Peter Obi, former Anambra State Governor and 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), has assured his supporters that he will contest the 2027 general election under the same party platform.
Obi made this known in a video shared on the party’s WhatsApp platform, now widely circulated, where he addressed a group of young supporters and reaffirmed his loyalty to the Labour Party, despite the internal crisis currently facing the party.
Responding to a question about his political future, he said:
“I will still continue to run in the Labour Party. I’m a member of the Labour Party.”
Obi also addressed concerns over his silence on the challenges within the party.
He attributed the ongoing issues in both the Labour Party and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to interference from the ruling government
“What is happening in the Labour Party and the PDP is caused by the government. Quote me anywhere,” he stated.
Drawing from experience, Obi recalled how the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua once intervened during a political crisis, summoning the then INEC Chairman, Prof. Maurice Iwu, to ensure peace among political parties.
“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 and told him, ‘I don’t want any problem in any party.’ We were forced to fix it,” he explained.
“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 responsibility and ensure their votes count.
According to him, while agents can be paid by political parties to look after their interests, the ultimate power lies with the electorate.
Speaking further, Obi called for reforms in the political space, including introducing a retirement age for public office seekers.
By 2027, Obi will be 65 years old and said he doesn’t want to contest elections in his 70s.
Despite the current challenges, Obi encouraged Nigerians not to give up hope, assuring them that positive change is possible even if it is resisted by those benefiting from the current system.
