The Labour Party (LP) has expressed confidence in its ability to win the 2027 presidential election without forming a coalition, citing its strong grassroots appeal and growing support across Nigeria.
According to the party, its performance in the 2023 general election is proof that it can challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) independently.
Obiora Ifoh, LP’s National Publicity Secretary, made this assertion during an interview on Sunday. He dismissed rumors of any coalition talks with Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) or Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
“As it stands, Labour Party has not been approached or invited to any meeting whatsoever to discuss a coalition. What we see already is that people are thinking of alternatives and how best elections can be won in a landslide against the ruling APC,” Ifoh said.
“Labour Party didn’t need any coalition in 2023 when it gathered millions of votes from Nigerians who wanted Labour Party to take over the leadership of the nation. We will continue to say that the system played a trick on both Nigerians and Labour Party.
“We know LP has what it takes to win elections at the highest level and we demonstrated that in 2023. If elections were to hold again today, Labour Party would even do it in a bigger way because the government of the day has failed. Everything that Labour Party stands for and canvassed in 2023 is what Nigeria needs at the moment. So we do not even really need a coalition to win the election.”
However, Ifoh did not completely rule out a coalition, stating that the party would carefully assess any proposal if approached.
He said, “The idea of a coalition is not bad. If Labour Party is approached, the party will look into it to scrutinise see the merits and its demerits.
“Again, we only see individuals talking. The opposition parties have not called for any meeting or take the initiative for discussion until when the time comes.”
The statement follows speculation about a possible coalition among opposition parties, including LP, PDP, and NNPP. Both Kwankwaso and Peter Obi, LP’s 2023 presidential candidate, have publicly denied such discussions.
In a BBC Hausa interview, Kwankwaso said, “I have not communicated with either Atiku or Obi,” while Obi reiterated last week, “I am not a party to any arrangement of this nature.”
Meanwhile, PDP acting National Chairman Umar Damagum argued that defeating APC in 2027 would require a broad coalition, emphasizing PDP’s critical role. “Even if four parties merge without the PDP, they cannot win an election,” he stated.
