Factional National Secretary of the Labour Party, LP, Umar Farouk, on Wednesday said Peter Obi may lose the opportunity to become the party’s presidential candidate in 2027 if he continues to hobnob with the African Democratic Congress, ADC.
Farouk, who made this statement in an interview with Trust TV, stressed that the LP will give Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed a chance to contest for President.
He stressed that the party’s presidential ticket is not reserved for anyone.
Expressing displeasure with Obi’s association with leaders of the coalition-backed African Democratic Congress, ADC, Farouk maintained that the LP’s 2027 presidential ticket will be contested.
The factional national secretary declared Baba-Ahmed, the party’s 2023 Vice Presidential candidate, is as qualified as his principal, Obi.
“Datti is qualified to contest for the presidency as good as Peter Obi. So, the seat of that candidacy is not reserved for anybody. It is open for a competitive contest.
“If Datti is willing to aspire for presidency and he wants to do that under the Labour Party, we will open it. Come and buy the form, mobilise his support and then get elected.
“But the only thing is that if those people didn’t come back to us, they lose that opportunity because there’s no way you’ll continue to romance with other political parties and then you still come back and your one leg is in the Labour Party. No, ab initio, you may be disqualified,” he said.
Farouk’s comment is coming barely a week after Baba-Ahmed declared his interest in the 2027 presidential race, should Obi decide not to contest.
However, Baba-Ahmed, who said he is not desperate to become President, also reaffirmed his support for Obi, saying the former governor of Anambra State deserves another chance to contest on the platform of the Labour Party.
