Stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia Central Senatorial District have rejected the outcome of the party’s senatorial primary election, describing it as a “farcical display of brigandage” that failed to reflect the will of party members.
In a protest letter addressed to the party’s national leadership, titled “Irregularities, Brigandage, and Breach of Electoral Process in Abia Central Senatorial Primary,” the aggrieved stakeholders accused some individuals of hijacking the process and denying party members the opportunity to participate.
The protesters, led by Chief Uche Onyejekwe and Chief (Mrs.) Ego Nwamuo, stated that party members initially welcomed the adoption of the direct primary option for the contest, believing it would guarantee transparency and inclusiveness ahead of the 2027 general election. However, they alleged that the process was manipulated by “desperate and overzealous politicians” determined to impose predetermined outcomes.
“We regret to inform you that the party lost a golden opportunity to advertise its commitment to internal democracy and citizen inclusivity,” the stakeholders stated. “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.”
The stakeholders called on the national leadership of the APC to investigate the breaches and the illegal exclusion of party faithful during the May 18, 2026 primary election. They expressed confidence that a thorough investigation would justify a review of the outcome and possibly lead to a rerun in areas where there was no evidence of public participation.
One protester recounted that confusion and chaos characterised the process in several wards, leaving party members stranded for hours without accreditation or voting. Members of the seven-man APC National Assembly Primary Election Committee, officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and security personnel were absent in many wards and local government areas.
The stakeholders further claimed that party members were later shocked to hear that results had already been announced, with figures allegedly allocated to candidates despite the absence of voting. They questioned the declaration of Emeka Atumah as winner, insisting that the figures announced were “outrageous and bewildering” given the absence of a credible electoral process.
“We are convinced and make bold to say that there was a predetermined outcome from the beginning, given that figures were allegedly written and allocated behind closed doors,” the protesters alleged. They also queried the role of Hon. Thomas Nkoro, who allegedly announced results despite not being a member of the APC primary election committee from Abuja.
The protesters challenged anyone claiming that voting took place in the affected areas to provide video evidence, insisting that no election was conducted in several wards, including Oloko Ward 2, Usaka Ward in Ikwuano Local Government Area, Osisioma Wards 2, 3, 8 and 9, Ntighauzo Primary School, and Okporo Ahaba Ward 1. They maintained that party members across the affected areas were ready to testify that no primary election took place in their wards.
The stakeholders urged the APC leadership to invoke its discretionary powers to identify and sanction those responsible for the alleged irregularities and resolve the crisis in the interest of the party.
