Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Labour Party has concluded its primary elections across several states, producing candidates for governorship, senatorial, House of Representatives, and State Assembly seats ahead of the 2027 general election. The primaries, which were held in the last week of May 2026, saw a mix of direct voting and consensus affirmations, with the party fielding candidates in key battleground states as part of its strategy to expand its political footprint. Among the most high-profile winners were Abia State Governor Alex Otti, who secured the party’s gubernatorial ticket for a second term; Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, who clinched the Abia South senatorial ticket; House of Representatives Deputy Spokesperson Philip Agbese, who was affirmed as the Labour Party candidate for his Benue constituency; former Adamawa senator Ishaku Abbo, who emerged as the party’s governorship candidate; and former Ondo First Lady Betty Anyanwu‑Akeredolu, who picked the Labour Party ticket for the Owerri federal constituency in Imo State.
In Abia State, Governor Alex Otti was returned unopposed as the Labour Party’s governorship candidate for the 2027 election after polling 368,230 votes in a direct primary election held across the state’s 184 political wards. The result was announced at the International Conference Centre in Umuahia by the party’s National Organising Secretary and Returning Officer, Mrs. Oluchi Opara, who confirmed that the exercise was supervised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies. Otti, who was the lone aspirant in the contest, received his certificate of return from Labour Party National Secretary, Hon. Acho Obioma. In his acceptance speech, the governor urged all party candidates to unite ahead of the general election and to extend their campaigns beyond the party’s membership base. “I want to also call our attention to the fact that the job has just started. If you were not a candidate, then you can’t fight. But now that you are a candidate, you know, election is contention. You have to contend with yourself,” Otti said. He also commended party leaders for ensuring a peaceful and transparent primary process.
Alongside Otti, the Labour Party in Abia State also produced senatorial candidates for the three districts. Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, who represents Abia South, secured the party’s senatorial ticket, positioning himself for what would be a sixth term in the National Assembly if successful. Darlington Nwokocha emerged as the candidate for Abia Central, while Chief David Ogba Onuoha clinched the ticket for Abia North. For the House of Representatives, the party nominated Obi Aguocha (Ikwuano/Umuahia North/Umuahia South), Ginger Onwusibe (Isiala Ngwa North/South), Amobi Ogah (Isuikwuato/Umunneochi), Alex Ikwechegh (Aba North/Aba South), and Ibe Okwara Osonwa (Arochukwu/Ohafia), among others, in addition to candidates for all 24 seats in the Abia State House of Assembly.
In Benue State, the Labour Party held a direct primary election across the 35 wards of the Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency, with incumbent lawmaker and Deputy House Spokesperson Philip Agbese securing the party’s ticket for a second term. Agbese polled more than 52,000 votes, a result that was announced by the National Returning Officer for Benue State, Dr. Aminu Atonu, who described the process as “peaceful, transparent and credible.” Agbese, who defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Labour Party in February 2026, has since been spearheading efforts to strengthen the party’s structures in Benue South Senatorial District. Speaking after his affirmation, the lawmaker expressed gratitude to his constituents, noting that they had defied the rains and gathered in thousands across the 35 council wards to support his candidacy. “They first elected me under the APC in 2023. And when the time came to kick-start the process of re‑electing me, the people consulted and x‑rayed all options available, and they promptly suggested a fresh and more viable vehicle that could take us to the National Assembly. They didn’t only suggest Labour Party, they also followed me massively to the party and we started building it, like the Ark of Noah. Today, we can boast of over 60,000 members registered on the database, at a short period of time,” Agbese said. The party also produced Samuel Onuh as its candidate for Benue South Senatorial District and Dr. Mathias Byuan as its governorship candidate for the state.
In Adamawa State, former Senator Ishaku Abbo emerged as the Labour Party’s governorship candidate, while in Imo State, Mrs. Betty Anyanwu‑Akeredolu, the widow of the late Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, picked the Labour Party ticket for the Owerri federal constituency. Akeredolu, who joined the Labour Party in March 2026, had earlier obtained her nomination and expression of interest forms to run for the Imo East senatorial seat but ultimately emerged as the candidate for the House of Representatives seat. In her public engagements, she has cited a desire to address what she described as a leadership gap in the district, drawing on her experience as a former first lady and her late husband’s legacy of governance.
The Labour Party’s primary elections also produced candidates for several other states. In Nasarawa, Jonathan Gaza, a member representing the Karu/Keffi/Kokona Federal Constituency, emerged as the party’s governorship candidate. The party also released its timetable for the 2026 primaries ahead of the 2027 polls, fixing the cost of its presidential nomination and expression of interest forms at a combined N50 million, while granting a free ticket to Governor Alex Otti. The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Ken Asogwa, noted that the party was pleased with the increasing number of aspirants picking up nomination forms and expressed optimism that the Labour Party would win many seats across the country.
The primaries mark a significant milestone for the Labour Party, which is positioning itself as a major opposition force ahead of the 2027 elections. With high‑profile candidates like Otti and Abaribe, and a growing presence in states such as Benue, Adamawa and Imo, the party is seeking to capitalise on voter dissatisfaction with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). The challenge now lies in converting its primary successes into electoral victories, as the party faces formidable incumbents and well‑established political structures across the country.
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