Ex-Anambra governorship candidate dumps Labour Party, gives reason

A former governorship candidate in Anambra State, Valentine Ozigbo, has resigned from his membership of the Labour Party (LP).

“A few moments ago, at a state executive committee meeting of the Labour Party in Awka, in Anambra State, I formally submitted my resignation letter to my ward’s Chairman,” Mr Ozigbo wrote on his Facebook page on Wednesday. 

PREMIUM TIMES gathered that the move was in preparation for the forthcoming 8 November 2025 governorship election in Anambra.

The politician contested the 2021 Anambra governorship election under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

He came second in the election, which was won by the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Charles Soludo, who is now governor.

But in August 2022, ahead of the 2023 General Elections, Mr Ozigbo defected to the LP from the PDP to support the LP’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

‘Why I resigned from Labour Party’

Mr Ozigbo said in the Facebook post he had informed Mr Obi of the decision as a mark of “deep respect” for the LP presidential candidate.

The former governorship candidate said “recent events” made it clear to him that the time to build something new had come. He did not mention the “recent events” he was referring to.

“That is why, after deep reflection and broad consultations, I have chosen to take a different path, one that is not about party lines, but about our people. About progress. About a movement that will bring real transformation to our great state,” he said.

The politician stressed that his exit from the LP was a moment of celebration and not of uncertainty, assuring his supporters that the passion for a better Anambra has become stronger than before.

“To those who believe in this vision, stand firm. To those who have walked this journey with me, stay resolute. Because what lies ahead is bigger, brighter, and more powerful than anything we leave behind,” he said.

PDP again?

Mr Ozigbo did not indicate which political party he would join to run for governor in the South-eastern state’s forthcoming election.

READ ALSO: Anambra 2025: PDP to sell nomination, expression of interest forms for N40million

Sources told PREMIUM TIMES that the politician was considering a return to the PDP, which appears willing to welcome him back.

Meanwhile, Governor Soludo is expected to seek reelection under the APGA platform.

Sworn in as governor on 17 March 2022, his first tenure will elapse by 17 March 2026.