nenadi Usman
Makurdi/Ogbadibo, Benue State – The Labour Party (LP) recorded a significant boost in Ogbadibo Local Government Area of Benue State on Wednesday as over 1,000 members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), All Progressives Congress (APC), African Democratic Congress (ADC) and other political parties defected to its fold.
The mass defection took place in Orokam District and forms part of a broader wave of political realignments across Ogbadibo—comprising Orokam, Owukpa and Otukpa districts—ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The defectors, who included political stakeholders, community leaders and grassroots supporters, were formally received into the Labour Party during a ceremony attended by party leaders at both state and local government levels.
Speaking on behalf of the new members, a former House of Assembly aspirant on the platform of the ADC, Hon. E.E. Justice, said their decision was driven by the Labour Party’s commitment to inclusive leadership, development and grassroots participation. He also cited the leadership and representation of the member representing Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Philip Agbese (popularly known as Okanga 1 of Enone Kingdom), as a major influence on their move.
Some of the defectors publicly discarded symbols of their former parties before receiving Labour Party flags and membership materials in a symbolic gesture of their new allegiance.
The Benue State Chairman of the Labour Party, Hon. Williams Ochonu Okefie, and the Ogbadibo Local Government Chairman of the party, Hon. Peter Enejor, received the new members. They assured them of equal opportunities within the party and urged them to fully participate in its activities.
Welcoming the defectors, Hon. Philip Agbese described the development as evidence of the growing acceptance of the Labour Party across Ogbadibo. Agbese, who earlier defected from the APC to the LP, has been actively consolidating the party’s structure in the federal constituency.
The latest influx comes as political parties intensify grassroots mobilisation in Benue State in preparation for the 2027 polls. Ogbadibo LGA has witnessed several shifts in political allegiances in recent months as stakeholders realign ahead of the next election cycle.
Party leaders expressed confidence that the continuous influx of members would strengthen the Labour Party’s presence and organisational capacity in the area.
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