The Labour Party (LP) has denied zoning its 2027 presidential ticket to the South-East.
LP in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, said the comments credited to the party’s National Chairman, Julius Abure, were taken out of context.
“Labour Party is a national party and has large followership across the country and, therefore, the issue of zoning does not arise,” the statement reads.
According to Ifoh, Abure only advised some Southeast members at a gathering on Saturday that Ndigbo could still achieve the presidency if they could reach out to other groups.
The LP spokesman asked the Igbos to forge stronger alliances with other regions to boost their chances in 2027, drawing comparisons to the Yoruba political bloc’s successes through strategic realignments.
“In the 2023 general elections, the party won seats in the north and across the southern states, and we are working hard to surpass that achievement in future elections.
“Candidates for every position must emerge through highly competitive and democratic processes, as the party’s constitution does not permit zoning,” the LP statement read.
“We, therefore, regret the misinterpretation of the party’s noble intention by a section of the media. Our party was quoted out of context.”
The statement read: The leadership of the Labour Party has denied the news making the rounds that it has zoned the 2027 presidential ticket to the South East.
In 2023, the opposition party fielded former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, as its presidential candidate in the polls.
Obi, however, lost to Bola Tinubu, the then-presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress. He trailed closely behind former vice president Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
