By Our Correspondent

National News – The Julius Abure-led faction of the Labour Party has unveiled Prince Kennedy Ahanotu as its consensus presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.

The decision was announced on Saturday during the faction’s presidential, governorship and House of Representatives primaries held in Abuja.

Ahanotu, the party’s National Youth Leader, emerged unopposed and was officially adopted by delegates as the faction’s flag bearer.

The announcement comes amid a prolonged leadership crisis within the Labour Party, with rival groups laying claim to the party’s leadership structure.

While the Abure-led National Working Committee continues to exercise authority over its faction, another camp supported by Abia State Governor Alex Otti and other stakeholders remains in contention.

In his acceptance speech, Ahanotu pledged to unite the party, strengthen internal democracy and expand its political structures across Nigeria ahead of the 2027 elections.

He called on party members and leaders to embrace reconciliation and collective responsibility in building a stronger Labour Party.

The 42-year-old politician also extended an olive branch to Governor Otti and other aggrieved members.

According to him, the Labour Party belongs to all Nigerians and should not be viewed as a project tied to a single state or interest group.

He expressed confidence that dialogue and cooperation would help resolve internal disagreements.

Representing National Chairman Julius Abure at the event, Deputy National Chairman Ayo Olorunfemi formally declared Ahanotu the winner after what he described as a consensus process.

He stated that the candidate received overwhelming support and reflected the party’s commitment to youth leadership and political renewal.

Several governorship candidates were also adopted across different states, including Benue, Kano, Katsina, Rivers, Delta, Kaduna and Bauchi.

Party leaders described the exercise as part of preparations for the next electoral cycle.

However, the rival Labour Party faction dismissed the exercise, insisting that the candidates lack legitimacy.

National Publicity Secretary Ken Asogwa described the development as irrelevant, maintaining that the party had moved on from the Abure-led group’s activities.