The Labour Party (LP) has received a major boost in Ogbadibo Local Government Area of Benue State following the defection of more than 1,000 members from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), All Progressives Congress (APC), African Democratic Congress (ADC) and other political parties.
The mass defection took place in Orokam District on Wednesday amid growing political realignments across Ogbadibo Local Government Area, which comprises Orokam, Owukpa and Otukpa districts, ahead of the 2027 general election.
The new members, including political stakeholders, community leaders and supporters, were formally welcomed into the Labour Party at a ceremony attended by state and local government party leaders.
Speaking on behalf of the defectors, former ADC House of Assembly aspirant, Hon. E.E. Justice, said their decision to join the LP was driven by the party’s commitment to inclusive leadership, development and grassroots participation.
Justice also pointed to the leadership and representation of the lawmaker representing Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency, Hon. Philip Agbese, popularly known as Okanga 1 of Enone Kingdom, as one of the major reasons behind their decision to join the party.
During the event, some of the defectors publicly discarded the symbols of their former political parties before receiving Labour Party flags and membership materials.
The Benue State Chairman of the Labour Party, Hon. Williams Ochonu Okefie, alongside the party’s Ogbadibo Local Government Chairman, Hon. Peter Enejor, formally received the defectors and assured them of equal opportunities within the party.
Welcoming the new members, Agbese described the development as further evidence of the Labour Party’s growing acceptance across Ogbadibo Local Government Area.
He urged the defectors to work closely with existing members to strengthen the party’s grassroots structure, assuring them that there would be no discrimination between old and new members.
According to the federal lawmaker, every member would be given an equal opportunity to contribute to the growth and development of the party.
Agbese, who is seeking re-election to the House of Representatives in 2027, has remained at the centre of the Labour Party’s expanding political activities in the Enone Federal Constituency since joining the party.
He had earlier secured the Labour Party’s ticket to contest for the constituency in the 2027 election.
BACKSTORY:
Political realignments have continued to gather momentum across Nigeria ahead of the 2027 general election, with politicians and supporters switching parties and building new alliances. The latest development in Ogbadibo LGA, Benue State, saw more than 1,000 members of different political parties join the Labour Party.
