Gov Otti, Newly Defected Senator Abaribe, Others Emerge Consensus Candidates In Labour Party Primaries
History has repeated itself for Abia State’s Governor Alex Otti, who, just as it happened in 2023, has emerged the Governorship Candidate for the Labour Party (LP) towards the 2027 elections.
Otti won his mandate by consensus from the governorship primaries carried out throughout Abia State on Saturday.
Other notable victors from the primaries by consensus arrangement included Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe who recently defected into the party from the African Democratic Congress ADC, former Senate Minority Leader, who recently defected to the party and won the LP ticket for Abia South, as well Senator Darlington Nwokocha (Abia Central) and David Ogba (Abia North).
All candidates for the State House of Assembly and the House of Representatives emerged through the consensus arrangement.
In his acceptance speech, Gov. Otti commended the party’s electoral and primary election committees for conducting a peaceful and credible primary election across the state.
The Governor said that no adverse reports were received from any part of the state, describing the process as orderly and transparent.
He also lauded the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), election observers and members of the monitoring teams for overseeing the exercise.
The Governor congratulated all candidates who emerged from the primaries and formally accepted his nomination on behalf of the party.
According to him, the successful conduct of the primaries demonstrated the party’s capacity to manage internal processes without rancour or violence.
Otti attributed the peaceful outcome to the efforts of party leaders who worked in the weeks leading to the exercise to resolve disagreements and build consensus across constituencies.
He urged the candidates not to regard their emergence as the end of the political process but as the beginning of the task of engaging voters ahead of the general election.
Otti expressed confidence in the party’s prospects, noting that participation in the primaries reflected growing grassroots support and enthusiasm among members across the state.
The party conducted primary elections in which members in all the political wards of the state overwhelmingly endorsed the consensus candidates.
Announcing the results on Saturday in Umuahia, the Returning Officer for the LP primary elections in Abia, Mrs. Oluchi Opara, affirmed that the exercise was conducted through a direct primary across the state’s political wards.
Opara, who is also the party’s Electoral Committee Chairman, stated that the primary election was held in substantial compliance with the provisions of the Labour Party Constitution, the Electoral Act 2026 and the Labour Party Electoral Guidelines 2026.
According to her, upon the conclusion of voting and the collation of results from the various local government areas, the committee duly compiled and authenticated the outcome of the exercise in accordance with the party’s guidelines and applicable electoral laws.
LP National Secretary, Chief Acho Obioma, said that the party’s primary election was successfully conducted across the wards in the state, with widespread participation by members.
Obioma described the exercise as peaceful and orderly, noting that no incidents were recorded during the conduct of the election.
He commended party members for their conduct and praised electoral officials for effectively discharging their responsibilities at the ward level.
According to him, the successful completion of the primary marked the beginning of the party’s next phase of political engagement and expansion.
The Candidates for State House of Assembly for Ikwuano State Constituency- Boniface Isienyi, Bende South State Constituency- Chinedu Okorie, Arochukwu State Constituency- Uchenna Okoro,Bende North State Constituency-Nnamdi Ibekwe, Isiala Ngwa North State Constituency- Ugochukwu Iheonunekwu.
In Isiala Ngwa South State Constituency, Roland Chinwendu, Isiukwato State Constituency-Lucky Nweke, Obingwa West State Constituency- Mrs Victoria Onwubiko, Ohafia South State constituency- Kalu Nwoke, Obingwa East State Constituency-Kelechi Ebere, and Ohafia North State Constituency-Mkpa Uka.
In Osisioma North State Constituency,Iheanacho Nwogu, Osisioma South State Constituency- Fyne Ahuama, Ugwunagbo State Constituency- Chijioke Uruakpa, Ukwa East State Constituency Louis Obiani, Ukwa West State Constituency- Chiemeka Akukanna.
In Umahia Central State Constituency- Chinasa Anthony ,Umuahia East State Constituency-Augustine Mmerigini, Umuahia North State Constituency- Kelechi Akaliro, Umuahia South State Constituency-Emeka Obioma, and Umunneochi State constituency- Marthias Ume.
In Aba Central State constituency-Stephen Ucheonye, Aba North State Constituency- Ms Ijeoma Ehuchie, and Aba South State constituency, Emmanuel Emeruwa.
The House of Representatives include Aba North and South- Alex Ikwecheghe, Ikwuano/ Umuahia Federal Constituency- Aguocha Obinna, Arochukwu Ohafia- Chief Okwara Osonwa, Isiala Ngwa North and South Federal Constituency- Chief Ginger Onwusibe.
Others are: Isiukwuato/ Umunneochi Federal Constituency -Amaobi Ogah, Obingwa /Osisioma/ Ugwunagbo Federal Constituency – Wambu Chiemela, Bende Federal Constituency-Choma Anyaso, and Ukwa East/ Ukwa West-Adinigwe Ugochukwu.
The event featured the presentation of certificates of return to the Governor and other candidates of the party.
NAN
