The Labour Party has officially zoned its 2027 presidential ticket to Southern Nigeria, a decision that signals a major political direction for the party ahead of the next general elections.
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The party’s acting National Chairperson, Nenadi Usman, confirmed the development on Tuesday while speaking with journalists in Abuja, stating that the decision had been finalised by the party leadership.
“We have one certain decision that we have taken, and that is that we will certainly not field any aspirant from northern Nigeria. We have zoned the position to Southern Nigeria,” Usman said.
“So if any northerner comes now to want to contest elections, we certainly will not accept that,” she added.
The announcement comes amid a protracted leadership crisis within the party, with rival factions laying claim to its national structure.
On March 17, 2026, a faction led by Julius Abure escalated the dispute by announcing the dissolution of the caretaker committee headed by Usman, despite existing court rulings recognising her leadership.
In a statement issued after a virtual meeting of its National Executive Council, the Abure faction accused the Nenadi Usman-led committee of inflicting “incalculable damage” on the party.
However, judicial pronouncements have continued to weaken Abure’s claim to leadership.
In April 2025, the Supreme Court nullified an earlier Court of Appeal judgment that had affirmed Abure as national chairman, ruling that the issue was an internal party matter beyond the jurisdiction of the courts.
Despite this, Abure has maintained his position, further deepening the internal crisis.
Subsequently, in January 2026, the Federal High Court in Abuja recognised the Nenadi Usman-led caretaker committee as the legitimate leadership of the party.
Justice Peter Lifu, in his ruling, directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise Usman’s leadership pending the conduct of a national convention.
The zoning decision is expected to shape political alignments within the party as it navigates its internal divisions ahead of the 2027 elections.
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