The Labour Party (LP) says its presidential candidate for the 2027 general election has been zoned to the southern part of the country.

The party’s interim national chairman, Nenadi Usman, stated this in an interview with journalists on Tuesday in Abuja, following the meeting between the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and political party leaders.

The meeting was to review INEC regulations and guidelines for the 2027 general election.

Ms Usman said that while the party’s presidential ticket was open to interested, credible aspirants, a decision had been reached to zone it to the southern part of Nigeria.

“We have one certain decision that we have taken. We will certainly not field any aspirant from Northern Nigeria. We have zoned the position to Southern Nigeria,” she said.

She, however, maintained that the party would uphold the principles of internal democracy.

“When the aspirants come, whoever the people like and vote for during the primaries will emerge as the candidate.

“I cannot tell you who the candidate will be right now because that would no longer be democratic,” she said.

Fielding questions on preparations for the party congresses scheduled to start on Thursday, Ms Usman said the congresses would likely be shifted in view of the surge in people joining the party lately.

“If we go ahead to stick to that date, to my mind, we are going to disenfranchise quite a number of people. So I think I may not be able to tell you the exact date or if we are going to change it.

“But I think we should tinker with that date, sit together as a group, and come up with a new date.

“Of course, political parties are about human beings coming together. So, one person cannot take that decision alone,” she said.

Ms Usman commended the recent court judgment in Yenegua, Bayelsa State, dismissing a legal challenge regarding the party’s leadership for lack of merit.

“Anybody can choose to pronounce themselves as chairman and go to court, but the court discovered they had no locus standi and threw it out. The case is now over,” she said.

On the recent attack and vandalism of a party office, Ms Usman revealed that a formal petition has been submitted to the Nigeria Police Force.

She expressed confidence that the perpetrators would be brought to book.

Ms Usman urged Nigerians to embrace the party’s digital registration platform.

“I call on members to please use their phones to register. It is an e-registration process.

“Manual registration in books is only reserved for those living in remote hamlets or villages without internet access,” she explained.

Earlier, the chairman commended INEC for its briefing on the new Electoral Act 2026.

(NAN)