The Labour Party’s leadership has stated that it has not zoned its presidential ticket for 2027 to the South East.
Mr Obiora Ifoh, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, said this in a statement issued in Abuja on Monday.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, Ifoh was reacting to news that the party had zoned its 2027 presidential ticket to the South-East.
The national publicity secretary insisted that the party had not, and would not, assign any of its posts to any geographical zone or individual.
Ifoh confirmed a comment attributed to the party’s national chairman, saying Julius Abure was cited out of context.
He stated that Abure’s statement on Sunday, captioned “2027: Labour Party still available for Ndigbo to realise presidency—Abure,” did not refer to the party’s 2027 ticket being zoned to the South-East zone.
Ifoh claimed that the national chairman merely told some Southeast members at a session that Ndigbo could still win the presidency if they were more cohesive and capable of reaching out to other groups.
He also added that Abure was attempting to argue that the Labour Party was a legitimate venue for Ndigbo aspirations.
“The Labour Party is a national party with a big following across the country, so the question of zoning does not arise.
“In the 2023 general elections, the party won seats in the north and southern states, and we are working hard to improve on that performance in future elections.
“Zoning is not permitted under the party’s constitution, thus candidates for every position must emerge through very competitive and democratic processes.
“We regret that a fraction of the media misinterpreted the party’s genuine objective. “Our party was quoted out of context,” he explained.
However, the national publicity secretary stated that they were encouraged by the public’s outpouring of concern about the disinformation.
“It clearly shows the level of love and trust Nigerians have for the Labour Party and how far they are willing to support it in the task of repositioning Nigeria and ensuring that democracy works again in our dear country,” according to him.
Ifoh called on Nigerians to support the party and maintain their faith in it in light of the “huge task” that lies ahead.
(NAN)
