Boniface Okoro in Umuahia
Controversy is trailing the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary elections in Abia State as stakeholders in Abia South senatorial district and Ukwa East/Ukwa West federal constituency rejected results published by the State Working Committee (SWC), insisting that their preferred candidates emerged winners.
The SWC list shows Hon. Erondu Uchenna Erondu Jnr. as the winner of the Abia South senatorial primary, while incumbent lawmaker, Chief Chris Nkwonta, got the return ticket for the Ukwa East/Ukwa West federal constituency.
But parallel pro-APC groups in Abia South and Ukwa are contending that Prince Paul Ikonne and Samuel Okezie Nwogu won the senatorial and federal constituency primaries, respectively.
The groups, which met separately in Aba and Obehie, Ukwa West, last Tuesday and Sunday, thanked President Bola Tinubu, the APC National Working Committee (NWC) and the Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, for “upholding” the candidacies of Ikonne and Nwogu.
Addressing journalists in Aba, spokesman of the Abia South stakeholders, Hon. Chinwe Nwanganga, said: “The real congresses produced Ikonne and Nwogu as candidates.
“Your leadership role ensured a transparent, credible process that has strengthened internal democracy,” he told the president and NWC.
The group argued that equity demands the seats go to their areas, noting that Obingwa LGA has held the Abia South Senate seat for 20 of the last 28 years. They said Ikonne, former NALDA executive secretary, has the political muscle to defeat Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe in 2027.
“With Ikonne’s candidacy, Tinubu’s 2027 tsunami will start in Abia South,” Nwanganga added.
In Obehie, the Asa Development Union (ADU) and New Ukwa Progressive Initiative (NUPI) also rallied for Nwogu.
The ADU National Secretary, Sir Boniface Nwigwe, said Nwogu’s emergence “ushered in a new era of joy” for Asa people who have not produced a NASS member in 19 years. NUPI Chairman, Dr. Akanwa Franklin, described it as a “restoration of confidence and equity.”
The groups said Ukwa West has been shut out of the federal constituency seat for 20 years. They urged the NWC to “disregard frivolous petitions” and pledged to mobilize for Tinubu in 2027.
But the Abia State APC has dismissed the claims, saying that the Publicity Secretary, Uche Aguoru, said the primaries were supervised by INEC, security agencies, and an NWC committee from Abuja, and that the winners were clear.
“In Ukwa East/West, Hon. Chris Nkwonta won and was duly returned in line with the wishes of members. As of today, he remains our candidate. INEC has acknowledged his candidacy,” Aguoru said.
On Abia South, he said: “Erondu’s issue is simpler. He won the election and was duly returned as our candidate. Any other person parading himself is only engaging in personal entertainment on social media.”
Aguoru stressed that the APC does not operate a zoning policy in Ukwa but selects candidates based on “winnability, capacity, performance, and acceptability.”
With INEC expected to upload candidates’ names in the coming days, the dispute over who truly flies the APC flag in Abia South and Ukwa appears far from over.
