A governorship aspirant of the Labour Party (LP) in Anambra State, Mr. John Nwosu, has declared that the candidacy of Dr. George Moghalu for the 2025 governorship election is invalid, following the Supreme Court’s recent sacking of the Julius Abure-led executive of the party.
The apex court, on April 4, nullified the leadership of Abure. Despite this ruling, the Abure-led faction proceeded to conduct a primary election on April 5, where former Director General of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Dr. Moghalu, emerged as the LP candidate.
However, another primary held on April 10 by a parallel faction led by Esther Usman Nenadi produced Jude Umennajiego, a sitting member of the Anambra State House of Assembly, as the party’s standard-bearer.
Speaking to journalists in Anambra yesterday, Nwosu—who boycotted the Abure-led primary but participated in Nenadi’s and lost—insisted that the April 5 exercise has no legal standing and Moghalu’s candidacy cannot stand.
“The Supreme Court ruling of April 4, 2025, was definitive. We know who the leaders of LP are,” Nwosu stated. “It’s now up to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to do the needful for the process to continue.”
He called on INEC to recognise only the April 10 primary, while casting doubts over Umennajiego’s candidacy, which he described as a placeholder arrangement.
“The primary of April 5 is null and void, and the primary of April 10 should be upheld, except, of course, that the issue of a placeholder is extraneous to the established process,” Nwosu said. “I am a firm believer in due process and the rule of law. So, I remain in the race for the candidacy.”
Nwosu confirmed that he has filed an appeal within the party and expects the leadership to make an official pronouncement once the Easter holidays conclude.
His comments add another layer of controversy to the LP’s governorship race in Anambra, as the party battles internal divisions and leadership disputes ahead of the November 8 election.
