● Reps member and ex-Minister win unopposed as LP targets govt house, Senate seat
BY JOHN WADA in Lafia
The Labour Party has confirmed Rep. Jonathan Gbwefi and former Minister Labaran Maku as its flagbearers for Nasarawa State’s next elections, with both men affirmed unopposed at a state congress in Lafia on Saturday.
The double affirmation sets LP’s battle plan for the June 20, 2026 Nasarawa North Senate by-election and the 2027 general elections.
—Gbwefi returns as gov candidate—
Gbwefi, who currently represents Karu/Keffi/Kokona in the House of Representatives, was returned as LP’s 2027 governorship candidate. Party Returning Officer Dr Kalu Oke said the process complied with the LP constitution, Electoral Act, and internal primary guidelines. He will receive his certificate of return at LP’s Abuja headquarters next week.
—Maku gets Senate ticket—
Maku, former Minister of Information, was also affirmed unopposed as LP’s senatorial candidate for Nasarawa North. He will first contest the June 20, 2026 by-election to replace late Senator Godiya Akwashiki, then run again in 2027.
—“Renewal and liberation” promise—
Speaking after his affirmation, Gbwefi pledged “transformative leadership” and called his candidacy a “social contract with voters”. He described the Labour Party as offering “renewal and liberation” for Nasarawa and urged supporters to keep campaigns peaceful and issue-based.
LP also issued certificates of return to its candidates for Senate, House of Representatives, and State Assembly seats across the state.
With Gbwefi eyeing Government House and Maku targeting the Senate, Labour Party says it is now fully set to campaign in both the 2026 by-election and 2027 polls.
