Politics
2027: APC’s “Glorious” March Toward Political Doom in Abia
THE adage that pride goes before a fall may have caught up with the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the just concluded Party Primaries in Abia state as the party displays arrogance, impunity and sense of unguarded pride which according to the adage ( …goes before a fall) Hiding under the cloak of a ruling party at the national level, the APC merchants may have actually dug a pit of hell for the party in Abia state where they aught to have deployed their first eleven.
Undoubtedly, APC story in Abia state as to the recent primaries could be likened to the arithmetic presentation known as ” improper fraction” where the smaller number carries the bigger number on its head thereby carrying unbearable load that is capable of breaking it’s spine. One wonders whether any sane person can prefer the least to the highest.
THE CAUSE OF THE MATTER
The APC in Abia state conducted their primaries in the Month of May 2026.The party at the National Level sent their representatives to the State to conduct the exercise. Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were also present, monitored and authenticated the exercise.
Few weeks after the exercise, it was later learned that the APC had set up a kangaroo Primaries Election Appeal Committee at Abuja and upturned the entire exercise and substituted genuinely elected candidates of the party from the Abia South Senatorial Zone of the state with names that came distance last according the results produced by the Primaries.
The Abia South Senatorial Primaries Election was won by Hon. Erondu Junior Erondu while that of Ukwa Federal Constituency was duly won by Hon. Chris Nkwonta, the incumbent member representing the constituency. The APC brazenly substituted the duo with Prince Paul Ikonne and Sam Nwogu. What a daylight goof by the leaders of the APC.
What could have caused this. The Primaries Appeal Committee of the APC conducted their mockery exercise without even hearing from the duo that were said to have been substituted. This was the beginning of the suspicions that there must be an unseen hand remotely involved.
Up till now, no known reason has been offered for the substitution of Hon Erondu and Hon Nkwonta. It is on record that the duo of Ikonne and Nwogu never featured in any of the congresses of the party in the state from the ward to the State level only to emerge from the blues to become candidates of the Party. What an impending disaster if the party allows this rubbish to fly . Of course that would be the party’s end as it has never been known to have won any election in that zone but had always ended distance 4th.
The life APC is enjoying in the Abia South Senatorial Zone today is the cross- carpeting of Hon. Chris Nkwonta who joined the party from the PDP after some months in the Green Chambers and the latest entrant ,Hon. Erondu also from the PDP. There is no APC in Abia South Senatorial Zone without Nkwonta and Erondu and other political parties have been in early jubilations praying that the duo are denied the Party’s ticket as it is already uhuru for them.
Hon. Nkwonta, since he joined the APC has single handedly bankrolled the party at the zone building structures and welcoming multitudes into the party and many have believed and followed him into the party because of the enormous love, support , good will he enjoys amongst his people. There is no doubt that Hon Chris Nkwonta is the most cherished and loved politician in Ukwa land because of his generosity, kindness, open door policy which has impacted immensely on his people even before his foray into politics.
Hardly will one go into any community in Ukwa land that you will not hear his positive testimonies from widows, Youths, adults and that has made him a household name in Ukwa land and as such has also caught the eyes of his envious negligible political opponents scared of his prominence and rising profile. A successful business man who has ever said it that he was in politics to make a difference and serve his people. And within the past three years in the Green Chambers, the difference is clear and shows in all corners of Ukwa land.
BUT WHO ARE THESE MISCHIEVMAKERS IN APC?
Certainly, there are top ranking individuals within and outside the party in the state alleged to be behind this plot to deny elected party candidates their tickets and thereby drag the party into colossal failure, doom and darkness in the state.
Chief Paul Ikonne and Sam Nwogu are said to be members of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors, a pro President Tinubu group with the lmo state Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma as their leader. The group had been in rival conflict with the APC leadership in the state headed by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Ben Kalu. The cold war between the two APC Leaders in the South East is so conspicuous and is entrenched strongly in Abia APC. Both Camps produced candidates for all the elective positions in Abia state ,State House of Assembly, the National Assembly and the Governorship position. It has remained strong rumours in the state that followers of the lmo state Governor had in different fora boasted that Governor Hope Uzodinma will install the next Government in Abia state.
But this is exactly what is playing out in Abia South Senatorial Zone of the APC as candidates of the Imo state Governor continue to lay claim to a candidacy they lost at the Primaries insisting that the matter has been settled at the National Headquarters of the party at Abuja. There is obvious truth in their claim and glaring collaboration with leaders of the APC at the National Level.
If not, one continues to wonder the rush by the leaders of the APC at the National Level to conduct a kangaroo Appeal Panel Committee and quick substitutions and submission of lists to the INEC.
So ridiculous that an Appeal committee was set up simultaneously as the primary election committee was being set up. The appeal committee sat and cleared Hon Erondu and Hon Nkwonta but the NWC decided to go contrary to the report of the appeal committee. Obvious Confusions and suspicious of a hidden motive.
The APC at the state level had through the state Chairman, Hon Chijioke Chukwu recently in a press conference confirmed and affirmed the candidacy of Hon Erondu and Hon. Nkwonta assuring that they remain the party’s authentic candidates for 2027 Elections.
The people of Ukwa Federal Constituency of the APC also recently held a press conference aligning with the decision of the party at the state level.
In a communique recently released after an enlarged stakeholders of the APC in Ukwa East and Ukwa West Federal Constituency The leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ukwa East and Ukwa West LGAs indisputably reaffirmed the candidacy of Hon. Chris Nkwonta.
The party leaders said “As the countdown to the 2027 general elections commences, the party has firmly established that Hon. Nkwonta stands as the rightful and duly nominated flagbearer for the Ukwa East/Ukwa West Federal Constituency, a fact borne out of a resolute commitment to democratic integrity and transparency”
“The meeting was held at the Ukwa-East Party Secretariat in Akwete. The meeting veritably saw the convergence of vital constituents: the executives of APC at the LGA level, ward chairmen, youth leaders, women leaders, ward secretaries and influential senior stakeholders hailing from both Ukwa East and Ukwa West LGAs. Together, a collective voice was forged which resonated with clarity and purpose.
The communiqué bore the signatures of figures including Hon. Chiwuike Ekeke – Chairman of the APC in Ukwa East LGA, Hon. Success Enyinnaya – Chairman of the APC in Ukwa West LGA, Mr. Darlington Iwor – Secretary Ukwa East and Sir Joe Onyedi-Magnus – Secretary Ukwa West. Each signature, remains a will to the unity and steadfast support for Hon. Nkwonta’s candidacy”
“The purpose of this significant gathering was to confront what the party leadership deemed as a plethora of misleading narratives circulating within the vast realms of social media, casting shadows of doubt upon the party’s chosen candidate for the seat of the House of Representatives. In a robust defense of party’s integrity, the leaders articulated their full participation in a transparent primary election, executed in strict accordance with the sanctity of the Electoral Act and the party’s own guiding constitution. The party proudly asserts that on the defining day of May 16, 2026, Hon. Nkwonta emerged victorious, celebrated across the expansive canvas of 20 electoral wards of Ukwa East and Ukwa West LGAs.
With untiring conviction, the party leadership emphasized that the announcement of Nkwonta’s victory was officially heralded by none other than Barr. Erasmus Cishak, the Chairman of the Abia State National Assembly Primary Elections Committee, as constituted by the National Working Committee. The party’s assertions remained fortified with an insistence that Hon. Nkwonta’s candidacy had neither been substituted nor withdrawn at any juncture in this honorable journey.
Delving deeper into the tenets of democratic processes, the stakeholders articulated that the provisions of the Electoral Act delineate precise procedures for candidate nomination and submission, rendering any attempts at undermining this process through social media propaganda or political maneuvering utterly futile.
The sanctity of the APC primary election was further validated by the vigilant oversight of officials from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), ensuring that Nkwonta’s position as the party’s standard-bearer for the impending 2027 general elections stands robust and unassailable”
The party leaders appealed to both party members and the broader public, the Ukwa East and Ukwa West APC to disregard what they characterized as the insidious fabrications of pranksters and scamps. Reaffirming their steadfast dedication to upholding the rule of law, due process and the pillars of internal democracy.
However, the APC leadership of Ukwa East and West extends heartfelt congratulations to Hon. Nkwonta for his significant achievement and pledged a united front to secure his triumph at the poll in 2027.
The party leaders equally expressed their deep appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, the National Executive Committee of the APC, the revered Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and APC luminary in Abia State, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, CFR, along with Hon. Chijioke Chukwu—the Abia State APC Chairman and other party leaders for their abiding commitment to principles of justice, due process and democratic integrity.
They reaffirmed their loyalty to the APC and articulated an unshakable support for President Tinubu’s administration, exuding confidence that the party would emerge resoundingly victorious in the upcoming elections.
It is expected that the APC leadership in Abia under Rt Ben Kalu, the Deputy Speaker House of Representatives in his usual characteristics should demonstrate political will and insist that the choice of Abians in his party’s are affirmed and not thwarted. He is the leader of the party in the state and witnessed the entire process during the Primaries so cannot allow an intruder assume leadership position or upturn the wishes of his party members in the state.
It is also very important to let the APC at the National Level know that those masquerading as Ambassadors of the party in Abia are non-performers who wear a robe of discipleship but carry the mark of Judas Iscariot as their actions are totally in variance with the name they profess and their plot will spell doom to APC in Abia state. The authentic list of the party’s candidates as uploaded from INEC should be made public as secrecy surrounding the release does not portray the party in good light.
Members of the party in Abia South Senatorial Zone are watching and waiting. The APC should put its house in order and chart the right course, or risk facing serious political consequences and the looming catastrophe that lies ahead.
Maduforo Ekeke. Writes from Aba. Abia state.
By Petrus Obi
Youths from the Oru area of Imo State have warned the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, against what they described as continued attacks on the state Governor, Hope Uzodimma, following the minister’s latest comments on the governor’s political ambitions.
The youths, in a statement signed by Hon Chinemerem Obi, said Wike should refrain from interfering in the internal political affairs of Imo State, insisting that the political future of Governor Uzodimma and the people of the state should be determined through democratic processes.
Their reaction followed Wike’s appearance on TVC’s Journalists’ Hangout on Monday, where the minister said he would not support Uzodimma for the position of Senate President after the 2027 elections.
Wike alleged that some APC governors were attempting to influence the emergence of lawmakers who would support their preferred candidate for Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives.
He specifically linked the disagreement to Uzodimma, alleging that the Imo governor was positioning himself to become Senate President after leaving office.
According to Wike, Uzodimma’s tenure as governor would end in 2028 and he was allegedly planning to leave office, contest for the Senate and subsequently seek the Senate presidency.
Wike said he would not support the reported ambition.
The minister’s comments have drawn a fresh response from groups in Imo, with the Oru youths accusing him of turning a political disagreement into what they described as a personal campaign against the governor.
The youths said Wike’s opposition to Uzodimma’s reported Senate ambition was a political position to which he was entitled, but argued that the minister should not use his position to dictate the political choices of Imo people.
They also questioned why Wike was repeatedly focusing on Uzodimma amid the wider disagreement between him and APC governors over his proposed Rainbow Coalition.
The coalition has been promoted by Wike as a platform to mobilise support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027, despite Wike remaining a member of the Peoples Democratic Party.
Wike has maintained that supporting Tinubu for president does not require politicians to support APC candidates in governorship or legislative elections.
The Oru youths said the reported ambition to become Senate President remained a political aspiration and should not be presented as an established fact.
They urged Wike to allow Imo voters and the relevant political institutions to determine who represents them at the National Assembly and who eventually emerges as Senate President.
The allegation about Uzodimma’s Senate presidency ambition has also been made publicly by APC chieftain Tajudeen Olesin, who recently claimed that the governor planned to resign before the end of his tenure, contest for the Senate and seek the Senate presidency. That claim was presented as Olesin’s assertion, rather than an announcement by Uzodimma himself.
The youths further appealed to political leaders in the Southeast to avoid statements that could deepen political divisions in the region.
They maintained that disagreements over the 2027 elections, legislative contests and political succession should be settled through democratic engagement rather than personal exchanges.
The development comes amid increasing political tension between Wike and several APC governors over the minister’s political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Earlier, a group identified as Imo Lawyers for the Defence of Democracy also called on Wike to stop what it described as personal attacks on Uzodimma, arguing that political disagreements should be addressed through dialogue and democratic institutions.
The latest controversy is expected to keep the political relationship between Wike and Uzodimma under close scrutiny as preparations for the 2027 elections intensify.
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has dismissed concerns by some All Progressives Congress governors that the proposed Rainbow Coalition could weaken the ruling party ahead of the 2027 elections.
Speaking on TVC’s Journalists’ Hangout on Monday, Wike said the coalition was primarily focused on mobilising support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election, while allowing politicians to support candidates of their preferred parties in governorship and legislative elections.
Wike argued that supporting Tinubu for president would not prevent politicians from backing other candidates in elections at the state and National Assembly levels.
He cited the experience of the G5 governors during the 2023 elections, saying the group supported Tinubu’s presidential bid while their respective parties retained their candidates for other positions.
“In 2023, core leadership G5, we said we are going to support Mr President. But we never said that all our candidates in other elections will fail,” Wike said.
The FCT minister alleged that some APC governors were opposing the coalition because of their political interests, particularly efforts to influence the emergence of the next Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives.
He specifically accused Imo State Governor and Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum, Hope Uzodimma, of positioning himself to become Senate President after leaving office.
According to Wike, governors seeking to control the emergence of senators and House of Representatives members could ultimately influence the choice of the presiding officers of the National Assembly.
He alleged that politicians who failed to secure APC tickets could contest under other platforms, win their elections and refuse to support candidates favoured by the governors for the leadership of the National Assembly.
Wike also declared that he would not support Uzodimma for Senate President.
“Life or death, I will never support a character of Hope Uzodimma to be the Senate President of Nigeria. Everybody knows that,” he said.
His comments came days after APC governors declared that they would neither participate in nor support any political alliance capable of weakening the party, affecting its candidates or undermining Tinubu’s re-election bid.
Uzodimma, who read the governors’ communique, said their support would remain exclusively for APC candidates at all levels.
Wike, however, maintained that the Rainbow Coalition was not designed to weaken or take over the APC, insisting that its primary objective was to mobilise support for Tinubu across party lines.
He also dismissed reports that Tinubu had agreed to concede nine states to the PDP or the Rainbow Coalition as part of a political arrangement ahead of the 2027 elections.
“Let us help Nigerians. Let’s get the facts. Who are… which are those states? Tell us. That they said the President agreed with me that he has conceded nine states,” Wike said.
The minister said he intended to campaign for Tinubu based on the administration’s record, citing issues such as the President’s support for state police and what he described as the devolution of resources and powers to the states.
Wike further disclosed that Tinubu was aware of the Rainbow Coalition and understood his political activities.
“As I speak to you here, Mr President knows about my concept, of the rainbow coalition…. Mr President understands me very well,” he said.
The dispute has heightened tensions within the ruling party as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 elections.
Meanwhile, sources within the APC said that the party’s National Working Committee was working behind the scenes to broker a truce between the opposing camps.
The sources said the process was expected to advance following the return of APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, from vacation, with plans for the NWC to meet President Tinubu and discuss ways of resolving the disagreement.
FCT Minister Nyesom Wike has disclosed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu provided about ₦50 billion to Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde to support the expansion and upgrade of Ibadan Airport.
Wike made the disclosure on Monday during an appearance on TVC News’ Journalists’ Hangout, while dismissing claims that he was the only member of the former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) G5 governors to benefit from the Tinubu administration.
According to Wike, Tinubu also extended financial support to Makinde despite their political differences.
“The president has also extended his hand of support to the governor of Oyo State by providing funds for him to expand Oyo airport with a whopping sum of 50 billion naira,” Wike said.
The minister also cited former Abia State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu and former Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, who he said currently serve as Nigeria’s ambassadors to Spain and Greece respectively.
Wike argued that it was therefore incorrect to suggest that he alone among the G5 governors had benefited from the Tinubu administration, saying the President had supported other members of the group in different ways.
The G5 consisted of Wike, Makinde, Ikpeazu, Ugwuanyi and former Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom. The group opposed the PDP’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, during the 2023 election and backed Tinubu.
By Okey Maduforo, Awka
Ahead of the 2027 National Assembly elections, a mass protest voting movement may be building up in Anambra South Senatorial District, following reported moves by members of major political parties to support the candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Chief Ebuka Onunkwo.
The development is said to be linked to grievances among some members of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), All Progressives Congress (APC), African Democratic Congress (ADC) and remnants of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over the treatment allegedly meted out to Onunkwo during previous political contests.
Onunkwo, who had previously contested the Anambra South senatorial seat under APGA, later emerged as the NDC candidate for the 2027 election.
Although the ADC is currently embroiled in legal disputes over the authentic candidates and the conduct of its primary elections, some members of the APC and APGA are also reportedly dissatisfied with developments within their respective parties.
It was gathered that a section of APGA members, in particular, are backing Onunkwo as a form of protest over the conduct of the party’s senatorial primary, while some members of other parties are also believed to be considering voting for him irrespective of their party affiliations.
Confirming the growing support for Onunkwo, the Chief Executive Officer of NOWAS Oil and Gas Limited and a major stakeholder in Anambra South politics, Chief Ignesus Ikechukwudere Nnubia, said the NDC candidate currently enjoys widespread acceptability across party lines.
Nnubia said the growing support for Onunkwo had made his party affiliation less significant, arguing that voters would ultimately vote according to their conscience and assessment of the candidates.
He said, “At the moment, the number of APGA members with him and supporting him makes one wonder what is left of that party. Even the remnants of the PDP have pitched their tents with him, while members of the ruling APC at the national level are also behind him.
“So, the party that he belongs to is not a factor at all. You know that it is a game of numbers, and people are going to vote according to their conscience and not necessarily because of the political party they belong to.
“People are not bound to vote for their party, and some of them are ready and willing to vote for him.
“We are not talking about the party because he will surely get votes from the NDC, APGA, APC and even other political parties that are already closing ranks to support him as their candidate.”
Nnubia further described Onunkwo as the candidate currently standing tall among the contenders for the Anambra South senatorial seat, expressing confidence that his emergence would usher in what he described as a “new dawn” for the district.
He said political parties should not be the major consideration for voters, stressing that what matters most is the ability of elected representatives to improve the lives of their constituents.
According to him, political parties exist because of the people, and therefore the influence of party structures and incumbency has its limits during elections.
Nnubia said those factors would ultimately be tested by the electorate in the 2027 election, which he described as a contest in which voters’ choices would determine the outcome.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate for the 2027 Ebonyi State election, Chief Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii, has pledged to attract more than ₦2 trillion in private-sector investment to the state within six months of assuming office if elected.
Odii made the pledge while addressing supporters in Lagos ahead of the formal commencement of his campaign.
He said his investment strategy would cover key sectors of the Ebonyi economy, including mining, hospitality, real estate and manufacturing.
According to the PDP candidate, he has identified more than 2,000 prospective investors, each capable of investing about ₦1 billion in the state.
“I have over 2,000 people who can invest ₦1 billion each. When you multiply it, you will get over ₦2 trillion. This has been structured in such a way that all aspects of the economy will be involved,” Odii said.
He said the proposed investment drive was designed not only to inject capital into the state but also to create jobs, expand the productive base of the economy and provide opportunities for young people and entrepreneurs.
Odii said Ebonyi’s natural resources and strategic location placed it in a strong position to attract large-scale investments if its economic potential was properly harnessed.
He promised that his administration would prioritise private-sector participation, industrialisation and job creation while creating an enabling environment for both local and foreign investors.
The candidate also said existing businesses in the state would be supported to expand, while new investors would be encouraged to establish operations across various sectors.
His pledge comes amid growing political activities ahead of the 2027 governorship election, with economic development, employment generation and wealth creation featuring prominently in his campaign message.
The proposed ₦2 trillion investment target within six months, if achieved, would represent a significant boost to Ebonyi’s economy and rank among the most ambitious private-sector investment mobilisation plans proposed in the state.
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