“‘It will be too late for Peter Obi to come back to Labour Party’ – Nenadi Usman

The Interim National Chairperson of the Labour Party, Nenadi Usman, has stated that the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, may no longer be able to rejoin the party once its membership register is officially closed ahead of future primaries.

Usman made the remark on Wednesday during an interview on Arise Television’s *Prime Time*, where she addressed internal party procedures and the implications of electoral timelines.

According to her, the Labour Party operates within the framework of the Electoral Act, which requires parties to close their registers within a specified period before conducting primaries and submitting electronic records to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

She explained that once this process is completed, new entries are no longer accepted.

“When you get to that stage and the register is closed, nobody can come in through the back door for registration,” she said.

Speaking on Obi’s past role in the party, Usman acknowledged his influence during the 2023 general elections, noting that his candidacy significantly expanded the party’s visibility and support base.

“Obi actually took the party to greater heights in 2023. There’s nobody who can match that momentum like he did,” she said.

She also noted that Obi played a key role in attracting new members to the Labour Party, including herself and others who, according to her, were motivated by shared ideas around fairness and equity.

“He convinced me to join him in the Labour Party. And not just me but also many people that are in Labour Party today because we believe in equity and fair play,” she added.