The Labour Party has made it clear that it will not consider any presidential candidate from northern Nigeria, stating that the ticket has been officially zoned to the South.
This position was disclosed by the party’s interim National Chairman, Nenadi Usman, while speaking to journalists after a meeting between the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and political leaders on Tuesday.
Usman emphasized that the party would not lobby or persuade anyone to run on its platform, noting that interested aspirants must come forward on their own.
“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.”
The development comes after the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, left the Labour Party for the African Democratic Congress (ADC), leaving uncertainty over who will emerge as its flagbearer in the next election.
Usman maintained that the party remains committed to internal democracy, adding that the eventual candidate will emerge through a transparent primary process.
