By Augustine Akhilomen

The 2023 elections, particularly that of the presidential, will always be remembered for the sudden reinvigoration of the Labour Party, (LP) into a strong opposition party that caused shock waves in the political firmaments of Nigeria.

The party caused so much waves and surprises that it even went on to defeat the most formidable political party in Lagos state, The All Progressive Party (APC), to the surprise of political observers.

LP was formed in 2002 as the Party for Social Democracy and was established by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC). Its name was officially changed to the Labour Party after the 2003 general election.

However, even before the registration exercise, the Labour Party was an organizational reality. This is more of a given, its antecedents, which derive from a rich heritage of progressive and labour-based intervention in national politics, dating back to the struggle for national independence from British colonialism.

But then, the party’s success and achievements has been credited to Peter Obi, the party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election, and former governor of Anambra State, who was able to win the attention of the youths, popularly known as the ‘Obidients’, the middle class and most especially, Nigerians who were yearning for a change.

Originally from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Obi left the party on May 22, 2022, presumably, after the party threw the presidential contest open as against its zoning policy enshrined in its constitution, which later saw former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar as their flagbearer.

The former Anambra governor was warmly welcomed by the Labour Party’s leaders and in turn was given the automatic ticket to run for the 2023 presidential election, which the party finished very strongly despite not having strong grassroots structures like the PDP and All Progressives Congress (APC).

With the 2023 election done and dusted, attention now turns towards the 2027 election, where the Labour Party will be hoping to dislodge the ruling party and its candidate president Bola Ahmed Tinubu from being re-elected into power.

However, many political observers believe that the party will struggle to make any relevant headway without Peter Obi as their presidential candidate and some members of the party are divided in giving him an automatic ticket.

Recall that the recent crisis within the party saw the Labour Party caretaker committee reject Abure’s chairmanship claim, asserting their authority based on the mandate from party stakeholders.

The 29-member caretaker committee, established by Abia State Governor Alex Otti and the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi, warned Julius Abure to stop presenting himself as the party’s national chairman.

Just a few days ago, Kenneth Okonkwo, former spokesman for the Labour Party campaign council in the 2023 general election, announced his departure from the party, saying it’s a sinking ship. This further diminished the party’s chances in the general elections.

Political observers are now beginning to wonder if the LP is truly a sinking ship going by the leadership crisis rocking the party or the party is merely passing through a phase in its development and attempt to be a formidable force in the politics of the country?

Hence, can the party survive without the former Anambra governor as the sole flagbearer in the 2027 presidential election, going by the crisis currently rocking it? These are some of the concerns of stakeholders and lovers of Peter Obi. Not a few were of the opinion that the Labour Party’s impressive outing at the last election was due to the popularity of Obi and they are also of the view that the party has failed overtime to build on what they achieved in 2023. Some also believe there are outsiders who are trying to destabilise the party and make it less stable and attractive to Nigerians before the next election.

Meanwhile, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Abayomi Arabambi, came out to tell Nigerians that the party would field Peter Obi as its candidate in the 2027 general elections. He also said that Tinubu would not have a smooth sail in the next general polls.

“Tinubu is not just going to have it very easy in 2027; we are coming back with that Peter Obi to them so that they will know we are very serious,” he said.

“There is no leadership crisis in the Labour Party. The Labour Party is not going into extinction. It is just a figment of the imaginations of most of our detractors,” Arabambi stated.

Speaking on the development, a political analyst at the University of Lagos, Lawrence Akanbi, told Thepledge that it will be difficult for the Labour Party to pull the same crowd or supporters that they had in 2023 if Peter Obi is not with the party in 2027.

“It will be a tough mountain for the Labour Party to climb without Peter Obi in their ranks in the 2027 presidential election. He has won the hearts of many Nigerians despite not winning the 2023 election.

“He remains LP’s best candidate that can compete with Tinubu. Any attempt to push him aside will spell doom for the party.”

In the same vein, a political commentator, Biyi Alao, in a chat with Thepledge warned that LP won’t exist again without Peter Obi. “Many Nigerians are supporting LP because of Peter Obi’s personality, which was on display at the 2023 election.

“There is no doubt that LP won’t survive without Peter Obi in 2027. In fact, they don’t have a candidate like him at the moment.

“It will be wise that they stick with him if they are to challenge Tinubu in 2027. He’s their best candidate at the moment.

With months to the 2027 election, it is expected that Peter Obi and the Labour Party will work hand-in-hand to fix some of the loopholes that created setbacks for the party in a bid to have a stiff challenge for the precious prize.

Beyond this however, is the bigger picture, which proponents of a coalition opposition party are saying is a better option for Obi to take into consideration when looking at the various options before making a decision about his presidential ambition. This, they argued, will help him in taking concrete decisions about his political future.

“Peter Obi will have to look at the various options before making a decision. The first one is can he win a presidential election without joining forces with other opposition parties to form a formidable coalition? This is because it is becoming increasingly clear that none of the opposition figures can win an election on their own without coming together to form a winning coalition”, says Tunde Aremu, a Lagos based political analyst.