Ahead of the 2027 general elections, Labour Party, LP Chairman in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT and senatorial hopeful, Joshua Mamah, has urged former members who abandoned the party to return, saying they chased shadows and are now stranded.

Mamah, a founding member of the LP in the FCT, said many defectors left during the party’s internal crisis because they lacked faith in its survival and were desperate for power.

“The reason we have remained in the Labour Party is that we did not just become members to grab power or get rich overnight.

“And you and I know, that was the intention of those running from pillar to post in search of opportunities through the back door. That is why they have lost our trust.

“I advised them not to chase shadows, but it fell on deaf ears. They left when the journey was tough, thinking the party would never emerge from its troubled waters. But here we are,” Mamah told reporters over the weekend in Abuja.

He described the situation of the defectors as “pitiable,” arguing that they failed to understand the LP’s core manifesto.

“They ran to the APC and found no road. They ran to the PDP and met a more troubled house. They ran to the ADC, and they are no longer sure. Every other party seems to have a unique experience of internal squabbles, except the Labour Party at the moment,” he added.

While cautioning current officials to remain loyal and professional, Mamah said the LP would “welcome back thousands of defectors,” describing it as “the mother of all political parties in Nigeria.”

Speaking on his 2027 FCT Senatorial bid, he said his experience as an indigene gives him an edge.

“As an indigene, my experience of the FCT is as old as the territory itself. When I look at where I was brought up, I see no government infrastructure development, despite the opportunities given to some people. It is time to challenge these anomalies,” he stated.