Ajaero: NLC Unaware of LP Merger Talks for 2027

The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero, has said the congress was not aware of merger talks involving the Labour Party with some political parties in the country.

The LP, which is a socio-democratic political party, was founded by the organised labour.

There have been speculations about the possibility of a merger between the LP and the Peoples Democratic Party, following the meeting between the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, and the presidential candidate of the PDP in the election, Atiku Abubakar.

Obi also reportedly met with some PDP stalwarts in Abuja, including a former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and a former governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido.

In 2019, both Atiku and Obi ran on the PDP joint ticket but were defeated by former President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress.

However, due to internal conflict within the PDP, Obi left the party in 2022 and contested the 2023 presidential election as the candidate of the Labour Party.

Speaking after the meeting with Obi on Monday, May 13, 2024, Atiku said party members would decide their fate in the 2027 general elections, adding that if the PDP decided in 2027 that it was the turn of the South-East to field the presidential candidate and selected Obi, he would readily offer his support.

The former vice president mentioned that his recent meeting with Obi might indicate a possible alliance leading up to the 2027 general elections.

When asked if the NLC would support merger talks that would make the LP cease to exist or if the organised labour would be involved in any merger talks involving the party, Ajaero said, “We are not aware of such talks.”