The Julius Abure-led faction of the Labour Party has adopted its National Youth Leader, Prince Kennedy Ahanotu, as its consensus presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.
Ahanotu, 42, emerged during the faction’s presidential, governorship and House of Representatives primaries held in Abuja on Saturday.
His emergence comes amid the lingering leadership dispute within the Labour Party, which has seen rival camps lay claim to the party’s leadership structure.
In his acceptance speech, Ahanotu pledged to unite the party and strengthen its structures ahead of the 2027 polls. He called on members and stakeholders to embrace reconciliation, dialogue and collective responsibility in order to reposition the party.
The presidential candidate also expressed willingness to engage key figures in the opposing camp, including Alex Otti, in efforts to resolve internal differences and restore cohesion within the party.
Ahanotu argued that the Labour Party belongs to members across the country and should not be seen as a project of any individual or state. He said his focus would be on building a stronger and more inclusive political platform.
The party’s Deputy National Chairman, Ayo Olorunfemi, who represented National Chairman Julius Abure at the event, formally declared Ahanotu the party’s flag bearer after he emerged through a consensus process.
Olorunfemi described the candidate as a progressive young leader capable of driving the party’s future, noting that the decision reflected the party’s commitment to generational leadership.
However, the rival Labour Party faction dismissed the exercise and the candidates produced from it. The camp, through its spokesman, Ken Asogwa, described the development as irrelevant and maintained that the party had moved beyond the Abure-led group.