Labour Party Not Part of Opposition Coalition — Otti

ByMoses Alamu2 hours Ago1 Mins read41

Abia State Governor and National Leader of the Labour Party (LP), Alex Otti, has dismissed speculations that the party is considering joining an opposition coalition to unseat the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general elections.

Otti made this clarification while speaking with journalists during the first stakeholders’ and National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the party since the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recognized the leadership of Senator Nenadi Usman. The meeting, held late Saturday at the Abia Governor’s Lodge in Abuja, was attended by representatives of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Senator Usman, and members of the party’s Interim National Working Committee.

According to the governor, the Labour Party is already a coalition in itself, made up of Nigerian workers and progressive-minded citizens across the country. He stressed that the party has no plans to merge or align with any other political coalition ahead of 2027.

“Labour is already a coalition. This is the coalition of Nigerian workers and people who are progressive and like-minded. So, when people talk about joining another coalition, we have no such plans,” Otti said.

Edo Governor Okpebholo Approves Minor Cabinet Reshuffle

The governor also expressed regret over the exit of the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, and the defection of some lawmakers at the National Assembly. Despite this, he maintained that the party remains strong and focused, wishing Obi well in his future political endeavours.

Speaking on resolutions reached at the meeting, Otti disclosed that the party would soon commence congresses from the ward level to the zonal level, culminating in a national convention. He added that INEC has been notified and that revalidation of party membership would begin in March.

Otti further revealed that a reconciliation committee would be constituted to bring aggrieved members back into the fold, calling on Julius Abure and his supporters to return if they are willing to abide by party rules. Meanwhile, the Abure faction has vowed to challenge INEC’s recognition of Usman’s leadership in court.