2027: Labour Party Youth Leaders Begin Talks on Possible Alliance With Tinubu, APC

Youth leaders within the Labour Party have proposed exploring a political alignment with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and groups supporting President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

The proposal followed a virtual meeting held on October 2 involving Labour Party National Youth Leader Prince Kennedy Ahanotu, five national zonal youth leaders and 32 state youth leaders.

A statement signed by the Edo State Labour Party Youth Leader, Ken Omusi, and published on the party's official X account on Saturday said the meeting focused on the party's political direction amid what participants described as a prolonged internal crisis and concerns about youth participation in national governance.

The youth leaders reportedly mandated Ahanotu to commence consultations with stakeholders within the APC, the Renewed Hope Movement, the City Boy Movement and Tinubu Support Groups to explore the possibility of political alignment and collaboration ahead of the 2027 elections.

The statement said some participants expressed concerns about what they described as inadequate recognition, engagement and support for the party's youth constituency during and after the 2023 general elections.

The participants said they wanted a political platform and leadership structure that would provide greater opportunities for youth participation, leadership development, economic empowerment and involvement in national decision-making.

“Following extensive deliberations, the youth leaders called on the National Youth Leader, Prince Kennedy Ahanotu, to commence with immediate effect consultations with relevant stakeholders within the APC, the Renewed Hope Movement, the City Boy Movement and the Tinubu Support Group to explore the prospects of a political alignment and possible collaboration ahead of the 2027 elections,” the statement said.

The meeting also considered policies and programmes of the Tinubu administration, including human capital development, youth empowerment, economic reforms, infrastructure, healthcare, education, security, agriculture and workers' welfare.

According to the statement, participants expressed differing views about the policies and their implications for Nigeria's development.

The youth leaders also expressed confidence in Ahanotu and asked him to facilitate the proposed consultations, stressing the importance of broad-based engagement and consensus-building before any final decision is reached.

A physical meeting of Labour Party youth leaders in Abuja was also proposed to review the outcome of the consultations and determine the group's next steps.

The proposed alignment has not yet been concluded, and the statement does not amount to a formal endorsement of Tinubu by the entire Labour Party. Rather, it represents an initiative by the participating youth leaders to explore possible political cooperation ahead of the 2027 elections.

The development comes amid continued internal disagreements within the Labour Party and wider political realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The Labour Party was a major opposition force in the 2023 presidential election, when its candidate, Peter Obi, finished third with 6,101,533 votes, according to results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

The latest proposal by the party's youth leaders to open consultations with the APC and groups supporting Tinubu could add another dimension to the political realignments taking shape ahead of the 2027 presidential contest.