The Directorate of Mobilisation and Integration (DMI) of Nigeria's Labour Party has started consultations on forming new political and institutional alliances in preparation for the 2027 general elections. This move follows a national strategy session where the DMI reviewed the ongoing crisis within the Labour Party, leadership litigation, and its strategic direction. The session, themed "DMI Updates, State of the Nation and Strategies for 2027," was attended by over 150 state coordinators and 55 participants via Google Meet and WhatsApp.
The DMI, led by its Director-General, Marcel Ngogbehei, reaffirmed its identity as a citizen-led governance initiative that promotes public engagement, civic participation, and accountability. Its mission is to bridge the gap between citizens and the decisions that affect their lives, stressing that participation in governance should extend beyond elections. The DMI clarified its relationship with the Labour Party, describing it as a strategic partnership to strengthen governance and electoral impact, not an organisational merger.
The strategic partnership between DMI and Labour Party was brokered by the party's National Chairman, Julius Abure, and developed from the relationship between the Labour Party and the Obidient Movement after the 2023 elections. The collaboration was facilitated in 2022 when Ngogbehei served as chairman of the Coalition for Peter Obi. The DMI stressed that its identity, membership, structures, and mission remain distinct from the internal affairs of the party.
The strategy session examined the prolonged leadership crisis within the Labour Party involving Abure, Senator Nenadi Usman, Peter Obi, and Abia State Governor Alex Otti. Participants reviewed disagreements surrounding party leadership, internal processes, and zoning, as well as the implications for grassroots members and volunteers. The DMI argued that the crisis had weakened a political platform into which ordinary Nigerians had invested time, resources, and expectations.
The DMI also examined Obi's subsequent movement to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), questioning how zoning arguments advanced during the Labour Party dispute should be viewed against the NDC's political arrangement. The directorate noted that while zoning had been cited as a factor contributing to the Labour Party crisis, the NDC had also departed from the same principle, with its National Leader, National Chairman, and presidential candidate all from the southern part of the country.
On the ongoing litigation over the Labour Party leadership, the DMI identified three possible scenarios, including a Supreme Court decision restoring Abure to the party leadership, a decision affirming Usman's leadership, or a ruling reaffirming the limits of judicial intervention in internal party affairs. The directorate expressed concern that prolonged uncertainty could affect the Labour Party's preparations for the 2027 elections.
The DMI has over 500 state and FCT coordinators, averaging about 15 coordinators per state, and over 11,000 coordinators across Nigeria's 774 Local Government Areas (LGAs). The directorate said its nationwide structure should not remain suspended while awaiting the resolution of litigation involving the Labour Party leadership. It resolved to maintain organisational continuity and prepare for different lawful outcomes while respecting binding court decisions and applicable electoral laws.
Key points
- The DMI is exploring new alliances ahead of the 2027 elections.
- The directorate has a nationwide structure with over 500 state coordinators and 11,000 coordinators across LGAs.
- The DMI's strategic partnership with Labour Party aims to strengthen governance and electoral impact.
