2027 Presidency: Why Peter Obi Should Not Leave Labour Party, Youth Advocate Speaks

2027 Presidency: Why Peter Obi Should Not Leave Labour Party, Youth Advocate Speaks

  • Amidst the ongoing crisis within the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi has been cautioned against defecting ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
  • Ogoegbunam Kingdom, an advocate for youth and women's development, advised Obi to stay within the LP and address internal issues rather than switching parties
  • Obi, who gained significant support in the 2023 elections, had hinted at the possibility of leaving LP if the internal crisis persists

Legit.ng journalist Nurudeen Lawal has 8 years of experience covering political campaigns and elections

FCT, Abuja - Amid the crisis rocking the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi has been advised against defecting to another political platform ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Ogoegbunam Kingdom, the Platform for Youth and Women Development director, gave the advice in an exclusive chat with Legit.ng.

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Peter Obi/Labour Party/2027 Presidency
Peter Obi has been advised against leaving the Labour Party ahead of the 2027 elections. Photo credit: KOLA SULAIMON/AFP
Source: Getty Images

Obi left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the LP in the buildup to the 2023 elections and picked up the party's presidential ticket.

He showed his political strength by polling over six million votes and coming third in the poll, despite contesting on the platform of the lesser-known and less influential party.

Crisis tears LP apart

After the 2023 elections, the LP leadership has been embroiled in protracted internal wrangling.

There have been allegations of misappropriation of funds, tussles for leadership and calls for the resignation of the party’s chairman, Julius Abure.

Addressing the development during an engagement with his supporters on an X space, hosted by Parallel Facts, Obi hinted that he may leave the party if the crisis remains unresolved.

"We will try to change them (LP), if we can’t, we will leave them; we will not die with them," the former Anambra governor said.

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Resolve LP's problems, Peter Obi told

Speaking with Legit.ng, Mr Kingdom, who heads an NGO focused on youth and women's development, said Obi should remain within the party ranks and address internal challenges.

Expressing his views on the matter, the youth and women's development advocate stressed the importance of leadership, interpersonal skills, and courage in navigating internal crises, especially in Nigerian political parties.

According to him, every political party, regardless of its stature, grapples with internal strife. He, therefore, advised Obi to demonstrate his capacity for leadership by resolving the issues within his party.

"My advice to Mr. Peter Obi is comprehensible. Remain in the party and resolve the problems<" Mr Kindgom told Legit.ng
"Every political party in any democracy has internal wrangling; he should show leadership, interpersonal skills, and courage by resolving amicably the issues in his party so that they appear formidable enough to form an opposition against the incumbent and the current party in power. Moving to another party will only portray him as desperate and tottery."

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2027 presidency: I'm not desperate - Obi

Meanwhile, Obi said he was not desperate to become the president of Nigeria.

The LP chieftain came under fire recently after he faulted the federal government’s timing and prioritisation of the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project.

Some supporters of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) government criticised him on social media, saying he does not see anything good in what the current administration does because of his desperation to become the president in 2027.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Nurudeen Lawal avatar

Nurudeen Lawal (Head of Politics and Current Affairs Desk) Nurudeen Lawal is an AFP-certified journalist with a wealth of experience spanning over 8 years. He received his B/Arts degree in Literature-in-English from OAU. Lawal is the Head of the Politics/CA Desk at Legit.ng, where he applies his expertise to provide incisive coverage of events. He was named the Political Desk Head of the Year (Nigeria Media Nite-Out Award 2023). He is also a certified fact-checker (Dubawa fellowship, 2020). Contact him at lawal.nurudeen@corp.legit.ng or +2347057737768.