Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, on Thursday, called for unity and reconciliation within the Labour Party following the conclusion of its nationwide primary elections, warning that internal divisions could undermine the party’s chances ahead of the 2027 General Elections.
Otti made the appeal at the National Executive Council meeting in Abuja, where the party ratified the outcome of its primaries and confirmed 1,211 candidates for various elective positions, including Dr Chibuzo Okereke as its presidential candidate.
Represented by his deputy, Ikechukwu Emetu, the governor said party members must move beyond the contests of the primaries and work together to strengthen the party.
He said, “Elections within the party should never create permanent divisions. The contest is over; the assignment has just begun.
“Our opponents will seek to exploit divisions among us. We must not give them the opportunity.”
Otti urged successful candidates to extend a hand of fellowship to fellow aspirants and foster reconciliation across party structures.
“We must bring everyone to the table and harness the strength, experience, and networks of all those who participated.
“You must therefore see yourselves not merely as candidates, but as ambassadors of hope and agents of change,” he stated.
The governor also stressed the need for collective action and coordinated campaigns.
“We must speak with one voice and mobilise collectively,” he added.
The Labour Party has been battling internal leadership disputes in recent years, with rival factions laying claim to the party’s national structure.
However, party leaders at the NEC meeting insisted that reconciliation and unity remain critical to its electoral fortunes in 2027.
Earlier, the party’s National Chairman, Nenadi Usman, appealed to aggrieved members to put aside their grievances and work for the growth of the party.
“We had a successful primary election that took place all over the nation. Today, we are meeting here not just to thank God but to adopt what we have done all over the nation and ratify it.
“As I always say, in every political party, there are bound to be people who are aggrieved because they didn’t get things the way they wanted. So I want to plead that we should all shield our swords. Let us continue to work together for the development of our party.
“There must be reconciliation, and we need to work together. The party does not belong to any one person. The more members we have, the better for our political party because the essence of having a political party is to use it as a vehicle to win elections,” she said.
Presenting the report of the primaries, National Secretary and Secretary of the NEC, Hon. Iheanacho Obioma, said the elections were conducted on May 30 across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory in compliance with the Constitution, the Electoral Act 2026, the Labour Party constitution and guidelines issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
According to him, the party undertook a nationwide digital membership registration and revalidation exercise, submitted its membership register to INEC, issued statutory notices and electoral guidelines, and sold nomination forms to aspirants before conducting the primaries.
Meanwhile, Labour Party presidential candidate Chibuzo Okereke formally accepted his nomination and pledged to lead a people-centred campaign ahead of the 2027 election.
“I accept this nomination with full understanding of the weight of responsibility it carries,” he said.
Okereke thanked the party leadership, Otti, Usman, members of the NEC and Labour Party supporters at home and in the diaspora for their confidence in him.
He described the Labour Party as a platform for workers, professionals and ordinary Nigerians founded on social justice and democratic ideals.
The presidential candidate also unveiled his “Nigerians First” agenda, saying governance must prioritise citizens and human development, while introducing his “Believe Again” message aimed at restoring public confidence in Nigeria and its institutions.
