No fewer than 52,000 votes were recorded for the member representing Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency, Hon. Philip Agbese, across the three local government areas in the just-concluded Labour Party (LP) direct primaries in Benue State.
Agbese, the deputy spokesperson of the House of Representatives, defected from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the LP in February, 2026, on the floor of the House.
He was returned on Saturday as a candidate of the LP, after being affirmed at a well-attended congress of party faithful across the 35 council wards of Enone.
The national returning officer for Benue State, Dr Aminu Atonu, described the process as “peaceful, transparent and credible”.
He added that Hon. Samuel Onuh was returned unopposed for the Benue South Senatorial District. At the same time, Benue Philanthropist, Dr Mathias Byuan, was affirmed as the party’s gubernatorial candidate for the 2027 general elections.
While reacting, Hon. Agbese expressed his appreciation for the love and support of his constituents. He urged them to amplify the gesture with balloting during the general elections, while assuring them he would work to justify the confidence reposed in him.
“Today is a remarkable day in my life. It is a day when my people, the good people of Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency, once again, demonstrated that their love for me was beyond lips and facial expressions.
They went all out, defied the rains and gathered in their thousands across the 35 Council Wards of the Federal Constituency, to affirm the mandate given to me.
“The first elected me under the APC in 2023. And when the time came to kick-start the process of re-electing me, the people consulted and x-rayed all available options, and promptly suggested a fresh, more viable vehicle that could take us to the National Assembly. They didn’t suggest the Labour Party; they also massively followed me into the party, and we started building it, like the Ark of Noah. Today, we can boast of over 60,000 members registered on the database in a short period of time.
“And today they came out massively to demonstrate the love. They have proven the party’s identity, logo, and ideology. The Labour Party is for Mama, Papa, Pikin and everybody, and not just one person sitting in a room and deciding the fate of the masses, deciding who gets what.
“If not for the people, I wouldn’t have discovered such a viable, people-oriented and more acceptable platform as the Labour Party. Imagine me, who should be looking for a ticket to a party, standing today presenting flags to 32 House of Assembly Candidates, 10 House of Representatives Candidates, 3 Senatorial Candidates, and a Governorship Candidate. What God cannot do, certainly does not exist, Agbese added.
