politics

Labour Party Rejects 2027 Election Boycott Threat

Published

8 months ago

March 15, 2026

Q Tinny

Labour Party Rejects 2027 Election Boycott as interim chair Nenadi Usman says the party is focused on fixing lapses from the 2023 polls

The Labour Party has ruled out plans to boycott the 2027 general elections, with its Interim National Chairman Nenadi Usman stating in Abuja on Saturday that the party is instead concentrating on correcting operational lapses that undermined its performance in the 2023 Nigerian general election.

Also read: Labour Party Accuses APC of Inflating Membership in Ogun

Usman made the clarification during an interview with journalists on the sidelines of the official unveiling of the party’s e-registration portal, amid growing political tensions over controversial provisions in the Electoral Act 2026 (Amendment).

Her remarks follow warnings by the Inter-Party Advisory Council that political parties could mobilise a boycott of the 2027 elections if contentious aspects of the amended electoral law are not reviewed.

Responding to questions on whether the Labour Party would align with that position, Usman said the party would not follow a “bandwagon” approach, emphasising that each political party faces different priorities.

“Every political party has its peculiarities. What bothers another political party may not be what is bothering the Labour Party at the moment,” Usman said.

According to the party leader, the Labour Party’s primary concern after the last election was not the live transmission of results through the INEC Result Viewing Portal (iREV), but the absence of agents at polling units nationwide.

Usman acknowledged that the party struggled to present critical documentary evidence in court during post-election litigation because it lacked representatives across all polling units.

“If you remember, in 2023, when we claimed that we won the election, when it was time for us to print out our evidence in court, we could not,” she said. “We didn’t have agents in all the polling units.”

She explained that the absence of party agents meant the Labour Party could not obtain enough copies of Form EC8A, the official polling unit result sheet required as evidence in election disputes.

To address the gap, Usman said the party is now prioritising grassroots mobilisation and strengthening its presence at every polling unit ahead of the next electoral cycle.

“So right now, what we are doing is that we don’t want to depend on the iREV and say that we will not work on our grassroots support,” she said. “We are not going to repeat the 2023 mistake.”

Usman also revealed that the party is rebuilding its institutional base by reintegrating labour unions into its organisational structure.

She said the exclusion of key affiliates such as the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria weakened the party’s operations during the last election.

“What happened before was that the institutional members of our great party were completely blocked out,” Usman said.

“But now that we have corrected that error and have our members in the unions working together with us, we believe we will have people signing the Form EC8A.”

The interim chairman added that proper documentation of election results would be a central strategy for the party moving forward, particularly to strengthen its legal position in the event of disputes.

Also read: Labour Party Protest Slams INEC Over Candidate Exclusion in Bye-Elections

“In a nutshell, different political parties have different issues bothering them. For us, we will face what is bothering us and fix it so that by 2027 we will be a better party,” she said.

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politics

2027: Shettima Says Peter Obi Has Nothing to Offer Nigerians

Published

19 hours ago

October 26, 2026

Peculiar Adirika

Shettima Peter Obi criticism intensifies as the Vice-President defends petrol subsidy removal and challenges the opposition leader’s economic arguments.

Vice-President Kashim Shettima has criticised Peter Obi, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, claiming that the former Anambra State governor has little to offer Nigerians beyond citing economic statistics.

Also read: Super Falcons Captain Ajibade Begins Recovery After Surgery

Shettima made the remarks at an event in Abuja on Monday, October 26, 2026, where he urged members of Nigeria’s economic community to support the Federal Government’s policies and defended its decision to remove the petrol subsidy.

“I respect Peter Obi for having the courage to say he’s not going to restore the petrol subsidy, but beyond spouting some statistics, Mr Peter Obi has absolutely nothing to offer,” the Vice-President said.

“He was surviving on various statistics. So, I call on you, the crème de la crème of the Nigerian economic community, to support us,” he added.

Shettima also compared petrol prices in Nigeria with those in neighbouring countries, arguing that the figures illustrated the consequences of the country’s previous fuel pricing arrangements.

“A few years ago, Nigeria was consuming around 67 million litres of fuel per day,” he said.

He put petrol prices at approximately ₦1,148.36 per litre in Niger Republic, ₦1,729.29 in Benin Republic and ₦1,945.50 in Cameroon, compared with ₦1,390 in Nigeria.

“The comparison is wide. Nigeria was Christmas for other African countries,” he said.

The figures were presented by Shettima in defence of the government’s position on petrol pricing.

However, fuel prices can vary by country, location and date, and the comparison would require independently verified, contemporaneous data to establish whether the figures are directly comparable.

The Vice-President’s comments come amid continued political debate over the removal of the petrol subsidy and its impact on the Nigerian economy, with opposition politicians questioning the government’s management of rising living costs.

Obi, a former Anambra State governor, has frequently used economic data and public spending figures when criticising government policies.

He has also advocated fiscal discipline, transparency and accountability in public administration.

Shettima’s latest remarks echo comments he made during the 2023 election campaign, when he described Obi as having “absolutely nothing to offer apart from dubious statistics”.

At the time, Shettima was the All Progressives Congress vice-presidential candidate, while Obi contested the presidency under the Labour Party.

The renewed criticism comes as political parties and their candidates prepare for the 2027 general elections, with economic management and the cost of living likely to remain central issues in public debate.

President Bola Tinubu’s administration announced the removal of the petrol subsidy in May 2023, shortly after he assumed office.

The policy was followed by sharp increases in petrol prices and transport costs, contributing to wider concerns about household purchasing power.

The Federal Government has defended the decision as a measure intended to reduce the fiscal burden of subsidy payments and redirect public resources.

Critics, however, have called for stronger support for households and more effective measures to cushion the effects of higher living costs.

Also read: Super Falcons Captain Ajibade Begins Recovery After Surgery

Shettima urged economic stakeholders to support the government’s approach, while his comments on Obi added to the political exchanges between the ruling APC and opposition figures ahead of the next presidential election.