APC ‘Collapses’ In Abia As Uche Ogah, Emenike Hold Parallel Governorship Primaries

A crisis capable of crumbling the Abia chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and denying the party a chance to field a candidate in the 2023 governorship election is currently brewing in the state.

This comes as two separate primary elections have been held to nominate APC candidates for the March 11, 2023 governorship election in the state.

While the APC national leadership had approved the direct mode of the primary election in Abia, THE WHISTLER gathered that a faction of the Abia APC loyal to Chief Ikechi Emenike on Thursday elected some delegates and held an indirect primary election that produced him (Emenike) as governorship candidate.

On other hand, a faction loyal to Uche Ogah, the Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development, reportedly held a direct primary as approved by the APC national leadership.

The APC National Working Committee (NWC) was said to have approved the direct mode of primaries in Abia, Benue, and Osun States in response to calls for transparency in the process of nominating candidates for the polls.

But the process that produced Emenike as candidate was, however, held in contradiction to the direct mode of primary that was approved in a notice sent to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by the APC NWC.

“This is in furtherance to the Party Constitution as amended (2022) and Section 84 (4) (B) (C) of the Electoral Act 2022 (as amended) which provides the option of Direct Primaries in respect of nomination of candidates,” part of the APC letter written to INEC had read.

Ahead of the fresh crisis, one of the top contenders and big wig in the Abia APC, Chief Alex Otti, had announced his withdrawal from the race on the grounds that the outcome of the election was already prearranged.

“The constitution of the party and the electoral act have no room for coercion and imposition of candidates, hence the wise provision for either Direct Primaries, Indirect Primaries, or Consensus as acceptable modes of electing candidates.

“While the rest of the aspirants had agreed to rally round and support any aspirant that wins the governorship primaries through a free and fair contest, a particular aspirant who obviously believes that he doesn’t stand a chance in a proper contest, rather chose to align with outside forces to be imposed on the party,” Otti had said.

Similarly, Chief Daniel Eke, who is one of the APC governorship aspirants in Abia, has faulted the process.

“I believe it is illegal for an aspirant not to be informed about what is going on. I have been calling (the) National Office for three days and nobody has answered me.

“Last night (Wednesday), I sent a text message to the National Organising Secretary, nothing has happened up till now.”

“How can we do election through delegates when no delegate election took place? INEC should look into this,” Eke said in a statement on Thursday.