Otti, Abaribe Lead Labour Party Winners as Abia Primaries Conclude

Governor Alex Otti has strengthened his bid for a second term after emerging unopposed as the Labour Party’s governorship candidate in Abia State.

The governor secured the party’s ticket during Saturday’s primary election held at the International Conference Centre in Umuahia, where he was formally declared winner by Oluchi Okpara, the returning officer for the exercise.

Otti’s emergence without opposition underscores his dominant position within the Labour Party in Abia as preparations begin for the next governorship contest.

The party’s primaries also produced familiar faces in key legislative races.

For Abia South, Enyinnaya Abaribe secured the Labour Party senatorial ticket, setting the stage for a sixth term bid in the National Assembly.

Abaribe currently represents the district after winning the 2023 election on the platform of All Progressives Grand Alliance. He later moved through the Action Democratic Party before eventually joining the Labour Party.

In Abia Central, Darlington Nwokocha emerged as the party’s senatorial candidate. Nwokocha previously served in the Senate before losing the seat following a Court of Appeal ruling that favoured incumbent lawmaker Austin Akobundu.

Meanwhile, Labour Party lawmakers in the House of Representatives retained the confidence of the party, with Amobi Ogah and other serving representatives from Abia securing tickets to seek re-election.

The outcome of the primaries positions the Labour Party to head into the next electoral cycle with many of its incumbent officeholders and established political figures on the ballot.

Africans Angle News