Abia Central APC Stakeholders Deny Conduct Of Primary Election Ahead Of 2027

The All Progressives Congress, APC, stakeholders in the Abia Central Senatorial District have condemned the senatorial primary in the zone, stating that they will not accept the alleged farcical show of brigandage as the will of the people.

In a letter of protest to the national leadership of the APC, the stakeholders titled “Irregularities, Brigandage and Breach of Electoral Process in Abia Central Senatorial Primary, lamented it was painful that a few individuals hijacked the process and denied party faithful the opportunity to nominate their representatives.

The protesters, led by Uche Onyejekwe and Mrs Ego Nwamuo, recalled that when the direct primary option was adopted for the nomination of candidates for the Abia Central Senatorial Zone of Abia State, they heaved a sigh of relief as party faithful, believing that at last they had an opportunity to have a say in how their flag bearers would emerge for the 2027 general election.

But the stakeholders said with regret, “We regret to state that the party lost a good opportunity to advertise its commitment to internal democracy and citizens’ inclusivity. At the end of what would have been a day for celebration of plurality, it became obvious that some desperate and overzealous politicians who insist on the old ways of impunity and gangster strategies hijacked the process and allocated votes even in wards where no actual balloting took place.

“In view of the foregoing, we most humbly seek your good offices to investigate the breach of process and illegal exclusion of party faithful in the Abia Central Senatorial Primary Election of May 18, 2026.

“We believe that a thorough investigation of this complaint will justify the review of the outcome of the primary and repeat of the process in areas where there is no evidence of public participation,” said the aggrieved protesters.

The protesters also revealed that no member of the Seven-man APC National Assembly Primary Election Committee, INEC officials and security personnel were in most wards and in some local governments. They stressed that APC members were shocked to hear that results were later announced with various fictitious figures allocated to candidates as if a transparent exercise took place.

“We are convinced and we boldly say that there was a predetermined outcome from the beginning as figures were allegedly written and allocated behind closed doors,” they added. The confusion was compounded when Hon. Emeka Atumah was eventually declared winner of the primary with outrageous and bewildering figures.

It was surprising that such figures could be allocated when it was quite clear that there was no semblance of an election in most wards. “We want video evidence from anyone who says otherwise”. Because from Oloko Ward 2, Usaka Ward, Osisioma Wards 2, 3, 8 and 9 and Okporo Ahaba Ward 1, and most other wards, there is an abundance of evidence to show that party members who gathered very early, waited throughout the day, without any accreditation, officials or voting.

“All we heard was that some already prepared results were announced to the public by one Hon Thomas Nkoro who is not a member of the Seven-man Committee from the APC Headquarters, Abuja. “We humbly invite the National Leadership of our great party to cross check whether any Thomas Nkoro was sent to announce the results of a primary election that did not hold,” the protesters demanded.

The protesters said party faithful in all the wards in Abia Central Senatorial District are prepared to testify that no primary election was held in their localities especially OLOKO WARD 2, Usaka ward in Ikwuano L.G.A; Ward 2 Osisioma LGA; Ntighauzo primary school; Okporo Ahaba ward 1; Osisioma Ngwa Ward 8.

The stakeholders called on the APC leadership to exercise its discretionary powers to fish out the perpetrators of the confusion for the necessary sanctions and resolve the impasse in the best interest of the party.