The Labour Party youth leadership has opened consultations with the All Progressives Congress (APC) and pro-Tinubu groups over a possible political alignment ahead of the 2027 general election.
The proposed realignment could see the youth wing support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid.
The development was disclosed by Ken Omusi, Edo State youth leader of the Labour Party, in a statement posted on X on Saturday.
According to Omusi, the proposal followed a virtual meeting held on October 2 involving Labour Party National Youth Leader Kennedy Ahanotu, members of the national youth leadership, zonal youth leaders and state youth leaders.
The meeting focused on the party’s political direction amid its prolonged internal crisis and the future of youth participation in governance ahead of the 2027 elections.
Labour Party youth leaders cite concerns
Omusi said several youth leaders raised concerns over what they described as inadequate recognition, neglect, lack of engagement and insufficient support for the youth constituency during and after the 2023 general elections.
The statement said the participants also discussed the need for a political platform and leadership that would offer greater opportunities for youth participation, leadership development, economic empowerment and inclusion in national decision-making.
The statement included criticism of the party’s 2023 presidential campaign, with participants saying they had “laboured in vain for a presidential candidate who lacked the skills to consolidate.”
Talks proposed with APC, Tinubu groups
The youth leaders also reviewed policies and programmes of the Tinubu administration in areas including human capital development, youth empowerment, economic reforms, infrastructure, healthcare, education, security, agriculture and workers’ welfare.
Omusi said participants expressed varying views on the policies and their implications for Nigeria’s development.
Following the discussions, the youth leaders asked Ahanotu to begin consultations with stakeholders in the APC, Renewed Hope Movement, City Boy Movement and Tinubu Support Groups.
The consultations are intended to explore the prospects of political alignment and possible collaboration ahead of the 2027 elections.
No final agreement yet
The participants also expressed confidence in Ahanotu and tasked him with facilitating consultations and consensus-building on the proposed realignment.
A physical meeting of Labour Party youth leaders in Abuja was proposed to review the outcome of the consultations and determine the next steps.
The proposal remains a consultation process and does not amount to a formal endorsement of Tinubu by the Labour Party as a whole. Reports indicate the move is linked to the youth wing of the faction led by Julius Abure, amid continuing divisions within the party.
The development adds to the political realignments taking shape ahead of the 2027 elections, with the Labour Party youth leadership now considering possible cooperation with the APC and groups supporting Tinubu.
