The member representing Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Philip Agbese, has emerged as the Labour Party candidate for the constituency ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to The Punch, Agbese secured the party’s ticket following an affirmation by members across the three local government areas that make up the federal constituency.
A statement from the lawmaker’s media office disclosed that 52,000 votes were recorded during the direct primary election conducted across the constituency, reflecting what party officials described as strong grassroots support for his candidacy.
Agbese, who serves as the Deputy Spokesperson of the House of Representatives, formally joined the Labour Party after announcing his departure from the All Progressives Congress on the floor of the House.
Since his defection, he has led efforts to strengthen the Labour Party’s structures in Benue State, particularly in the Benue South Senatorial District.
The affirmation exercise was conducted across the 35 council wards in Ado, Okpokwu and Ogbadibo local government areas, collectively known as Enone.
Speaking after the exercise, the National Returning Officer for Benue State, Aminu Atonu, described the process as peaceful, transparent and credible.
Atonu also announced the emergence of Samuel Onuh as the party’s candidate for Benue South Senatorial District, while philanthropist Mathias Byuan was affirmed as the party’s governorship candidate for the 2027 elections.
Reacting to his emergence, Agbese thanked party members and constituents for what he described as an overwhelming show of confidence in his leadership.
“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,” he said.
The lawmaker explained that although he was first elected to the National Assembly on the APC platform in 2023, consultations with constituents convinced him that the Labour Party offered a stronger platform for future political engagement.
“They didn’t only suggest Labour Party, they also followed me massively to the party and we started building it. Today, we can boast of over 60,000 members registered on the database within a short period of time,” Agbese stated.
He described the Labour Party as a people oriented platform driven by grassroots participation rather than elite interests.
Agbese also highlighted the party’s growing political presence in the state, noting that it now has candidates for the governorship, senatorial, House of Representatives and State House of Assembly elections ahead of the 2027 polls.
His emergence comes as political activities and realignments continue to intensify across the country in preparation for the next general election.
