.Caution against fielding unpopular candidates
Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
Some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia State under the auspices of Abia-South APC Vanguard have appealed to the national leadership of the party not to condone any ploy to undermine the result of the recently held Senatorial Primary election in the state.
Apart from representing the popular wishes of the people in the area, the stakeholders said that APC needs to field a candidate that enjoys wide-range support of the voters in Abia South Senatorial zone to be able to unseat the incumbent Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe in the forthcoming election in 2027.
They said it will take a very strong candidate of APC like Hon. Erondu Uchenna Erondu, Jnr, to defeat the current Senator representing Abia-South in the Senate, Senator Enyinnaya Harcourt Abaribe.
Addressing journalists in Abuja yesterday, the Convener of the Group, Sir Don Ubani, said they have come to express their support for the Primary election in which Hon. Erondu Jnr. emerged as the winner.
Ubani said that Erondu emerged victorious in the Primary election that took place last Monday 18th May, 2026 in the 65 Electoral Wards in the six local government areas of Abia-South Senatorial District.
The politician alleged that the closest contestant, Prince Paul Ikonne, was nowhere to be seen on the day of the Senatorial Primary Election.
Giving account of the Primary election, Ubani said: “On that day, more than 75 per cent of APC members in Abia-South Senatorial District came out en masse and gave their undiluted support to a young legislator with whom they are well pleased.”
He said that Erondu, Jnr, won overwhelmingly and was distantly followed by Dr. Nyerere Anyim Nyerere, as a second person.
Ubani who is a prominent APC leader from Ukwa-West Local Government Area of Abia-South Senatorial District, in Abia State alleged that there were moves by one of the aspirants, Prince Ikonne to lay claim to the APC Abia South senatorial ticket unjustifiably.
He urged the party leadership not to succumb to any pressure to jettison the wishes of the people as expressed during the transparently held Primary election in Abia South Senatorial zone.
“The truth of the matter is that it will take a very strong candidate of APC like Hon. Erondu Uchenna Erondu, Jnr, to defeat the current Senator representing Abia-South in the Senate, Senator Enyinnaya Harcourt Abaribe.
“If Prince Paul Ikonne is, by omission or commission, foisted on APC Abia-South as the candidate of the party, one thing would be clear, the party would lose abysmally and woefully.
“If there are ‘powerful individuals’ that are interested in helping Prince Paul Ikonne, they could get him another appointment like the one he occupied not long ago, Executive Secretary/CEO of National Agricultural Land Development Authority, NALDA, even though he may not use it to help any other person.
“Finally, I want to plead with the powers that be that the Deputy Speaker, Rt Hon Benjamin Okezie Kalu, has done so much to make APC a very enviable political party in Abia State.
“Let ambition that has no foundation not be allowed to destroy the party in the state. Hon Erondu Uchenna Erondu, Jir, is the man the people of Abia-South want to represent them in the 11th Senate. Let no person stand on his way because he is the peoples’ mandate,” he said
While justifying his victory Ubani said that Erondu, Jnr, who represents Obingwa-West State Constituency in Abia State House of Assembly is a politician whose liberal disposition and benevolence are next to none.
“His records as a philanthropist have earned him the sobriquet, Empowerment Master. This is a man who has willingly used his personal resources to facilitate donation of buses, cars, motorcycles, and many other remarkable gifts to the party in both Abia-South and the state as a whole. Courtesy of Hon. Erondu. Jnr, all the 65 Ward Chairmen of APC in Abia-South Senatorial District have brand new motorcycles while each of the six local government area chairmen of the party in Abia-South Senatorial District has a vehicle bought and donated by Hon Erondu, Jnr.
“It has to be stated that these special empowerment items were very useful to the Party during the recently concluded Primary Elections as they facilitated effective coordination by the Local Government Area Chairmen and Ward Chairmen
