 has dismissed speculation about possible alliances with other opposition parties ahead of the 2027){kind=link}
The Labour Party (LP) has dismissed speculation about possible alliances with other opposition parties ahead of the 2027 presidential election, insisting that its presidential candidate in 2023, Peter Obi, will not step down for anyone.
Speaking in an interview with Punch, the party’s Interim National Publicity Secretary, Tony Akeni, described the rumours linking Obi to a potential merger or coalition as “wishful thinking,” saying the former Anambra governor remains committed to the ideals that endeared him to millions of Nigerians.
According to Akeni, forcing Obi to abandon his 2027 ambition would amount to betraying the trust of Nigerians who see him as the symbol of hope and change.
“Anyone suggesting that Peter Obi should step down is indirectly asking millions of Nigerians to give up on their dream of a better country,” Akeni said. “Our motto remains clear — forward ever, backward never.”
He maintained that both Obi and the Obidient Movement are resolute in their quest to reclaim the presidency, stressing that the Labour Party will pursue its vision of a reformed Nigeria without compromise.
“If we abandon this cause now, it would mean taking away 90 per cent of the hope Nigerians have for national redemption,” he added.
“We will make the right decisions when the time comes, especially as the primaries approach, but that does not include stepping aside for anyone.”
Akeni also urged former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to reflect deeply on his political legacy and consider putting the nation’s progress above personal ambition.
“Atiku should decide how he wants to be remembered,” Akeni said.
“Will history remember him as a man who sacrificed Nigeria for his ambition and still lost, or as a patriot who placed the country’s future above self and helped steer it towards progress?”
He emphasised that the Labour Party’s ideology of people-centered governance and accountability cannot be replaced by political convenience.
“There is no substitute for the values we stand for,” Akeni asserted. “If others truly believe in Nigeria’s transformation, they should rally behind our vision rather than ask us to compromise it.”