The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially recognised George Moghalu as the Labour Party’s (LP) governorship candidate for the upcoming November 8, 2025, Anambra State election, validating the leadership of Julius Abure as the party’s national chairman.
Moghalu, representing the Abure-led faction of the LP, secured 573 votes in the primary election, defeating his sole rival, John Nwosu, who garnered only 19 votes.
The primary was held on April 5, 2025, at Finotel Hotel in Awka and was monitored by INEC officials and election observers. Of the 649 delegates, 601 were accredited, 592 votes were valid, and five ballots were deemed invalid.
In a celebratory message posted on the official Labour Party 𝕏 (formerly Twitter) handle, the party congratulated Moghalu, stating, “Heartfelt congratulations to Chief Dr. George Moghalu on this historic victory! May your leadership and vision propel Anambra State to new heights. Congratulations also to the good people of Anambra State on this development! Kudos to Barr Julius Abure and his entire team for this victory. The Labour Party is marching forward with strength and determination. EluPee forward ever, backward never!”
However, Moghalu’s victory has intensified the ongoing leadership crisis within the Labour Party. On April 10, a rival faction of the party, led by a breakaway group, conducted its own primary and produced Jude Umenajiego, currently a member of the Anambra State House of Assembly, as its candidate.
Umenajiego secured 180 votes, defeating John Nwosu again, who received 69 votes. Umenajiego quickly appointed Henry Mbachu, the lawmaker representing Awka South 1, as his running mate.
Sunday Okereke, acting chairman of the faction’s electoral committee, declared Umenajiego the duly elected LP candidate based on the party’s guidelines and the Electoral Act 2022.
In his acceptance speech, Umenajiego declared, “I am the validly elected governorship candidate of the party. Any other person is not recognised by the Labour Party leadership.”
In response to the development, the National Deputy Youth Leader of the LP, Barry Johnson, in a chat with Punch, confirmed that Moghalu was the legitimate candidate representing the Abure-led faction.
Johnson attributed the crisis within the party to a power struggle between LP’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The LP is now effectively divided into three factions, according to Johnson. The Abure camp, which includes the National Working Committee and the National Executive Council, is in direct opposition to the Obi camp, which includes the Obedient Movement and the Nenadi Usman group. The Otti camp, reportedly backed by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and certain elements within the All Progressives Congress (APC), has ambitions for the 2027 governorship ticket and a potential 2031 vice-presidential slot.
“We were hiding this information from the media for long because we didn’t want to wash our dirty linens in public. But now, we can tell the public that the rift in the LP is due to a power tussle between Obi and Otti for control of the party ahead of 2027,” Johnson said.
Johnson reaffirmed, “Our candidate for the Anambra governorship election remains George Moghalu from the Abure camp.”