The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Labour Party (LP) on Friday endorsed Peter Obi, the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, as its candidate for the 2027 general election.

The party also endorsed Governor Alex Otti of Abia State for re-election and Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour as its flag bearer in Lagos State. The LP expressed confidence that Obi will unseat President Bola Tinubu and the All-Progressives Congress (APC) in the upcoming presidential election.

Abayomi Arabambi, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, disclosed this in a statement made available to Vanguard in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital. He noted that many Nigerians, especially the youth, are currently yearning for Obi due to policies by Tinubu that are unfavorable to the masses.

According to Arabambi, the primary focus of the Labour Party in 2027 is to unseat President Tinubu through democratic means, with Peter Obi as the front-runner for the presidency. He stated, “Our major focus is getting the APC out of office only through the ballot box if Nigerians so desire, and not through illegitimate means.”

He reiterated, “Peter Obi will once again represent the LP in the 2027 presidential race,” and emphasized the party’s determination to support Governor Otti’s re-election bid in Abia and Rhodes-Vivour’s gubernatorial candidacy in Lagos.

“We are united in our resolve to bring about a better Nigeria under the leadership of Peter Obi,” he added.

Arabambi accused the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, and his Deputy, Professor Theophilus Ndubuaku, of spreading malicious and false statements that threaten the peace and unity of the party ahead of the 2027 elections. He alleged that the NLC disrupted the LP’s gubernatorial campaigns in 2023, supporting candidates from the ruling APC and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) at the expense of LP candidates.

According to Arabambi, Ndubuaku and his allies within the NLC are using their positions to attack the integrity of Julius Abure, the LP National Chairman, accusing him of alleged wrongdoings without presenting credible evidence.

He expressed concerns over what he described as an “unrelenting campaign of misinformation,” with Ndubuaku’s press releases undermining both Abure’s leadership and the credibility of the country’s judiciary, as well as that of Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun.

Arabambi decried the NLC’s shift away from its core responsibility of defending the rights and welfare of Nigerian workers, stating that the leadership of the labor union is engaging in divisive and undemocratic tactics aimed at sowing discord within the LP ranks.

He claimed that Ajaero and Ndubuaku are pursuing personal agendas, exploiting the NLC’s power for authoritarian ends, particularly in their treatment of Abure.