The Labour Party has said that it would not accept any presidential candidate from the northern part of the country, insisting that the position has been zoned to the South.
Addressing journalists after a meeting between the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and political leaders on Tuesday, the interim National Chairman of the Labour Party, Nenadi Usman, said the party will not go begging anyone to run on its platform.
Peter Obi and Dati Baba Ahmed were the presidential and vice-presidential candidates of the Labour Party in 2023; however, Obi has since left the party for the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
As it stands, it is not yet clear who will bear the party’s presidential flag in the coming election.
“Well, it all depends on whoever wants to use the Labour Party, because we cannot go out there and beg people, please come and use the Labour Party to contest elections.
“It’s never done. It’s left for future aspirants who want to use the Labour Party to come. But we have one certain decision that we have taken, and that is to say that we will certainly not field any aspirant from northern Nigeria.
“We have zoned the position to southern Nigeria. So if any northerner comes now to contest, we certainly will not accept that.
“But as for who, I can’t tell you now, because then it wouldn’t be democratic anymore. We’re supposed to have and practice internal democracy. So in view of the internal democracy we intend to practice and uphold, we will not be able to disclose that now.
“When the aspirants come, whoever the people like and vote for during the primaries, then that person will be the winner of the primaries.”
2027: Labour Party zones presidential ticket to south
