Otti, Abaribe, others emerge as consensus candidates in LP primaries

Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has emerged the consensus candidate in the Labour Party Governorship Primary Election in Abia, the News Agency of Nigeria reports. NAN reports that all candidates for the State House of Assembly, House of Representatives and the Senate emerged through a consensus candidature process. NAN further reports that the party conducted primary elections in which delegates across all political wards of the state overwhelmingly endorsed the consensus candidates. In her speech announcing the results on Saturday in Umuahia, the Returning Officer for the Labour Party Primary elections in Abia, Mrs Oluchi Opara, affirmed that the exercise was conducted through direct primaries 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. She also said that the exercise was conducted in compliance with the Electoral Act 2026 and the Labour Party Electoral Guidelines 2026. She said that 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. The National Secretary of the Labour Party, Chief Acho Obioma, said the party’s primary election was successfully conducted across the state’s wards, 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 marks the beginning of the party’s next phase of political engagement and expansion. He expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the exercise, saying it culminated in a transparent and peaceful process. 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 election observers and members of the monitoring teams for overseeing the exercise. The governor congratulated all candidates who emerged from the primaries and formally accepte