Why Returning To Labour Party May No Longer Be Possible For Peter Obi — Nenadi Usman

According to Ireporter Online, the Interim National Chairperson of the Labour Party (LP), Nenadi Usman, has stated that it may no longer be possible for the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to return to the party.

Speaking on Wednesday during an interview on Arise Television’s ‘Prime Time’ programme, Usman explained that once the party closes its register 21 days before its primaries, as stipulated by the Electoral Act, no new or returning member can be admitted through what she described as a “back door” process.

She acknowledged Peter Obi’s significant impact on the Labour Party during the 2023 general elections, noting that his influence elevated the party’s national profile in a way that may be difficult to replicate.

“It will be too late for Peter Obi to come back to Labour Party because if you look at the Electoral Act, at some points, we will close the register. You cannot come when that is done,” she said.

“Obi actually took the party to greater heights in 2023. There’s nobody who can match that momentum like he did. He convinced me to join him in the Labour Party, and not just me but also many others who are in the party today because we believe in equity and fair play,” she added.

Meanwhile, in a related development, the factional National Chairman of the Labour Party, Julius Abure, has accused Peter Obi and Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, of being responsible for the internal crisis rocking the party. Abure made the allegation during an appearance on Arise Television on Wednesday, claiming that the crisis began after both politicians allegedly moved to set up a caretaker committee in Umuahia.