Nasarawa Labour Party Chairman Rejects Parallel Primaries, Affirms Candidates Submitted to INEC

By Abel Zwanke, Lafia

The Chairman of the Labour Party in Nasarawa State, Hon. Alex Emmanuel Ombugu, has rejected reports of parallel governorship and by-election primaries, insisting that only candidates produced through the party structure under his leadership are valid.

Speaking in an interview on Sunday, Ombugu said his executive remains the recognised leadership of the party in the state and that the primaries conducted under its supervision complied with party guidelines.

According to him, the party produced Benjamin Ashim as its candidate for the by-election and Hon. Ibrahim Afakar Azamu as its governorship candidate for the 2027 election. “I conducted the primaries in line with party guidelines, and INEC officials were present. The candidates that emerged from that process are the ones submitted by the party,” he said. Ombugu maintained that any primary election conducted outside the structure he leads is not recognised by his faction of the party.

He also referred to ongoing leadership disputes within the Labour Party at the national level, noting that related matters are before the courts. Commenting on a rival faction in the state, the chairman said individuals presented as candidates by that group did not participate in the primaries organised by his administration.

He urged party members to remain committed to the recognised state structure while awaiting the resolution of internal disputes. The Labour Party in Nasarawa State has continued to witness disagreements over leadership and candidate nominations ahead of upcoming elections.