Abaribe Clinches LP Ticket for 6th Senate Term as Nwokocha, Ogah Emerge in Abia Primaries

Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe has secured the Labour Party ticket to contest Abia South in 2027, setting the stage for a 6th term bid in the National Assembly.

Abaribe, who currently represents Abia South, picked the LP nomination on Saturday during the party’s senatorial primaries. 

He first entered the Senate in 2007 and won his 5th term in 2023 on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance. He later defected to the Labour Party after a brief stint with the Action Democratic Party.

In Abia Central, former Senator Darlington Nwokocha also emerged as the LP candidate. Nwokocha was unseated at the Court of Appeal in 2023, with the seat awarded to incumbent Senator Austin Akobundu of the PDP. His return under the LP sets up a rematch in the zone.

The Labour Party also retained its House of Representatives slate in Abia. Hon. Amobi Ogah and all serving LP members in the lower chamber secured return tickets, signaling the party’s bid to hold its federal seats in the state.

The primaries come as the LP consolidates its base in Abia after the 2023 general elections, where the party made significant gains in the South-East. Abaribe’s nomination gives the LP a high-profile anchor in Abia South as it prepares for the 2027 polls.

Abaribe is one of the longest-serving senators in the current Assembly and has held various leadership positions, including Senate Minority Leader.