The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has dismissed speculations that the recent court ruling affirming Senator Nenadi Usman as acting National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP) could trigger the return of Mr Peter Obi to the LP.
The party said the judgment would neither weaken the opposition coalition nor affect preparations aimed at unseating President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general elections.
Speaking with DAILY GAZETTE in Abuja, ADC National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, stated that the ruling does not substantially alter political alignments ahead of the next elections.
He explained that the affirmation of Senator Usman’s leadership by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has no bearing on Mr Obi’s political decision, stressing that Obi has already openly aligned with the ADC.
“The ruling does not change anything substantially. Mr Peter Obi has declared openly for the ADC, and that settles the matter,” Abdullahi said.
He added that Senator Usman has also been a key figure within the opposition coalition from its inception, noting that the court verdict would only reinforce the alliance rather than weaken it.
“If anything, this judgment will only make the coalition stronger,” he added.
Barrister Julius Abure, who emerged as Labour Party National Chairman following a National Executive Council meeting in 2021, was recently removed following a series of legal battles over the party’s leadership.
Subsequently, INEC recognised former Finance Minister, Senator Nenadi Usman, as the legitimate acting chairman of the LP.
Mr Obi, who placed third in the 2023 presidential election on the platform of the Labour Party, had earlier exited the party amid a prolonged leadership crisis marked by conflicting court judgments and internal disputes.
Despite what some observers describe as a resolution of the LP leadership tussle, ADC maintained that there is no basis for fears that Obi would return to his former party.
Meanwhile, a Federal High Court in Abuja has removed the Abure-led executive of the Labour Party and nullified the candidates produced under its leadership for election purposes, holding that Abure’s tenure as national chairman had elapsed.
