Nenadi Usman, interim chairperson of the Labour Party (LP), has said it is “legally impossible” for Peter Obi to return and contest the party’s 2027 presidential ticket.

Speaking during an appearance on Arise News, Usman explained that the party’s rules do not allow late entrants once its register of members has been closed and submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). According to her, the LP finalises its register at least 21 days before its primaries, making any last-minute inclusion legally invalid.

Obi, who contested the 2023 presidential election on the LP platform and finished third, left the party in December 2025 to join the African Democratic Congress (ADC). However, internal disputes within the ADC and INEC’s derecognition of some factions have sparked speculation about a possible return to the LP.

Despite ruling out that possibility, Usman acknowledged Obi’s influence in elevating the party’s national profile during the 2023 elections. She noted that his candidacy drew widespread support and attracted many new members to the LP, including herself.

On the party’s internal crisis, Usman welcomed a recent ruling by the Court of Appeal, which upheld her leadership and dismissed an appeal filed by factional chairman Julius Abure. The court also affirmed that INEC acted within its powers in recognising her as national chairperson.

Usman accused rival factions of attempting to destabilise the party through multiple lawsuits filed across different courts, describing the actions as an abuse of judicial processes.

She disclosed that INEC recently conducted a successful verification exercise at the party’s secretariat and announced plans to begin nationwide congresses, culminating in a national convention in Umuahia, Abia State.

Calling for unity, Usman said all factions—including Abure’s group—have been invited to participate in the process. She stressed that the LP must prioritise institutional strength over individual influence, adding that no single figure defines the party.

Expressing optimism ahead of the convention, she said the gathering would mark a turning point toward a more cohesive and united Labour Party.