The Abia State chapter of the Labour Party (LP) conducted what it termed primary elections for the 2027 Governorship, National Assembly and State House of Assembly candidates with Governor Alex Otti emerging as the gubernatorial candidate, scoring a total of 368,230 votes.
DrumAfricanews reports that many LP chieftains were bittered with manner with which Governor singlehandedly bought forms for his preferred candidates, making it impossible for other interested parties from participating.
Impeccable sources told our correspondent that most LP hopeful aspirants were shocked when the Governor decided to shutdown everyone in Senatorial, House of Representatives and House of Assembly positions with his own preferred candidates.
“What can one do? Both the national chairman and the national secretary dance to his tone. Infact, the national secretary, Acho Obioma is his man, so what do you expect? We all have to accept. How can you buy form when you don’t even know the account or when nobody is willing to sell to you,” one of the affected hopeful aspirant said.
Speaking at the International Conference Centre, Umuahia, venue of the State Collation Centre, after being declared as the Governorship candidate by the National Organising Secretary of the Labour Party and Returning Officer of the primary elections in Abia State, Governor Alex Otti said that having been elected as candidates, the job of fighting to win elections have just started.
“I want to also call our attention to the fact that the job has just started. This crosses you to where you need to start fighting from.
“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. Don’t kid yourself to say no fight. It’s a contention. At the end of the day, the best person must win. And it’s only one person that will win.
“So, a lot of our candidates have already done elections before, won those elections. So, you are going to actually do better. If you look at the number of people that came out for the primaries, you will find that it was twice the total number of votes that we got the last time.
“And this is just Labour Party. There are a lot of people who don’t belong to parties who you need to now go out and talk to and convince them to either join the party or at least vote for members of the party,” Gov. Otti stated.
Governor Otti thanked the election primary committee for conducting the election, the INEC monitoring team, and congratulated all the candidates that emerged.
“I would like to accept this nomination. And I accept it because we know that we still have a lot collectively to deliver, to Abians, and of course, Nigeria.
He appreciated the manner in which the election was conducted. “There was no rancour, there was no violence anywhere.
“All the disagreements that could have happened have been dealt with even before today. And that’s why we had a very smooth primary across board.
“And I want to thank our leaders who sat down here in the last several weeks trying to resolve problems and disagreements between us that led to consensus candidates in virtually every constituency.”
The National Secretary of the Labour Party, Hon. Acho Obioma, while congratulating the Governor and other candidates on their emergence, said that “This is the beginning of the next phase of governorship in Abia State.
Obioma , former political adviser to Otti said that Abians are happy with the leadership of Governor Alex Otti and assured that he would be consolidating on his achievements.
Declaring the results earlier, the National Organising Secretary of the Labour Party and Returning Officer, Mrs Opara disclosed that the Governor polled 368,230 votes and informed those present that the election was by direct primaries.
Opara further noted that the primary elections were done in compliance with the party’s constitution and the INEC’s electoral guidelines and congratulated the Governor and other candidates that emerged.
Other candidates that emerged were, Senator Enyinnaya Abairibe, for Abia South, Darlington Nwokocha for Abia Central and Chief David Ogba Onuoha for Abia North senatorial district respectively.
For the Federal House of Representatives, the winners are Hon. Obi Aguocha – Ikwuano/Umuahia North/Umuahia South, Hon. Ginger Onwusibe – Isialangwa North /South, Hon. Amobi Ogah – Isuikwuato /Umunneochi, Alex Ikwechegh – Aba North and South, Ibe Okwara Osonwa – Arochukwu – Ohafia, Mr Chima Anyaso – Bende, Chief Ugochukwu Adịnigwe – Ukwa East/West and Wambu Chiemela Obingwa/ Osisioma/Ugwunagbo
For the 24 State Constituencies; Ikwuano State constituency – Isienyi Boniface; Bende South State constituency – Okorie Chinedu Edwin; Arochukwu State constituency – Okoro Uchenna Kalu; Bende North State constituency – Ibekwe Nnamdi Chimdi; Isiala Ngwa North State constituency – Iheonuneku Ugochukwu Collins; Isiala Ngwa South State constituency – Roland Chinwendu;
Isiukwato State constituency – Lucky Udoka Nweke Johnson; and Obingwa West State constituency, Onwubiko Victoria;
Others are Ohafia South State constituency, – Kalu Nwoke; Obingwa East State constituency – Kelechi Seth Ebere; Ohafia North State constituency – Mkpa Oju Uka; Osisioma North State constituency – Nwogu Ihanacho Emmanuel; Osisioma South State constituency – Ahuama Onyekachi Fyne; Ugwunagbo State constituency – Uruakpa Chijioke; Ukwa East State constituency – Obiani Louis Chinemerem; Ukwa West State constituency, Akukanna Chiemeka; Umahia Central State constituency – Anthony Chinasa Abiola; Umuahia East State constituency, Augustine Okezie Merigini; Umuahia North State constituency, Akaliro Kelechi Anderson; Umuahia South State constituency – Obioma Emeka; Umunneochi State constituency – Umeh Martias; Aba Central State constituency – Ucheonye Stephen Akachukwu; Aba North State constituency – Ehuchie Ijeoma-Florence, and Aba South State constituency – Emmanuel Iheoma Emeruwa.
The INEC officials led by the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Prof. Silvia Agu and other independent observers were present to observe the declaration of the Labour Party primary elections results from across the State.
