Politics

JUST IN: Mass defection of LP, PDP, APGA members to APC in Abia

Published

2 years ago

August 7, 2024

JUST IN: Mass defection of LP, PDP, APGA members to APC in Abia

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has welcomed approximately 600 defectors from four political parties into the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia state.

The new members, previously affiliated with the ruling Labour Party (LP), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Young Progressive Party (YPP), and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), were officially received during Kalu’s tour of electoral wards in his Bende Federal Constituency.

The Deputy Speaker who represents the constituency in the House of Representatives is currently on a thank you and mobilisation tour of the 13 electoral wards to show gratitude and also ascertain more of their immediate needs.

The chief press secretary to the deputy speaker, Levinus Nwabughiogu said in a statement that the Deputy Speaker has visited 5 wards covering Item Ward A, B, C; Ugwueke/Ezeukwu and Itumbauzo Wards and received several defectors into the APC.

Amongst those who defected were former PDP councillors from Alayi Ward A, Hon. Enoch Elekwa and Hon. Chukwu Udensi, former LP ward chairman, Hon. Jonah Chukwu; YPP ward vice chairman, Ekeoma Sylvester Eze and former APGA local government chairman, Ndubuisi Sunday Agu.

Speaking during the tour, a former Commissioner and Bende local government chairman who handed over to Kalu as a council chairman 22 years ago, Paul Chikezie Mba said the performance of the Deputy Speaker as a parliamentarian has attracted them to APC.

Mba also expressed gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for signing the South East Development Commission (SEDC) bill into law, while commending Kalu for attracting many projects to the ward.

He said: “I have looked at the efforts you’ve made. Within one year, you’ve overwhelmed Bende, Abia State, and beyond. I have been a commissioner of education, lands, and survey in Abia State.

“Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu overwhelmed my imagination. I know he is very intelligent. He has attracted so many roads, solar-powered energy for light, boreholes, rehabilitation and building of schools, health centres and so on. So many people have gained employment through him.

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“He sent people abroad to learn one trade or another. He has exceeded my expectations. I tell him, what he’s doing is right and I want to support him.

“I handed over to him as local government chairman. From day one, he looked so vibrant. I have never had any doubt about him.

“Over a hundred people registered for APC in this ward on Friday. Another batch came out today. You can see the tumultuous crowd.

“The things you’ve done well. You’re a tough man, we are praying for you. May God bless you. I came to you and told you I will join you because of your performance. God is going to use you to clean up our community. We are just scratching the surface.

“We will sweep Umuhu Ezechi for you soon. I see the great sons of our land that accompanied you to Umuhu. The former speakers of the State House of Assembly and so on.

“We are returning more votes for you. You’re a man of strength and character. You started by talking about the Peace in South East Project (PISE-P) and move ahead with the South East Development Commission (SEDC) Bill. May God bless you, your colleagues in the National Assembly, and our President.”

Receiving the decampees, the Deputy Speaker said he was in Umuhu Ezechi to show gratitude to the people for voting for him in the 2023 general election.

He urged the people to continue to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who graciously signed the South East Development Commission (SEDC) bill recently.

Kalu added that the commission will create employment for the people and also meet the infrastructural needs of the people.

The Deputy Speaker who was welcomed by the people with traditional dances later distributed bags of rice, fertilizers, and cash donations to the youth, women, and men’s groups in the area.

Also during his visit to the Ozuitem ward, over 100 persons from LP, PDP, APGA, and YPP defected to APC and were received by the deputy speaker who handed them a bunch of brooms as APC’s symbol.

Notable amongst them were Arc. (Chief) John Ihueze and Sunday Kalu Iroham who were hitherto chieftains of PDP; Adighije Okoronkwo from APGA and others from YPP.

Welcomed earlier by different dancing groups of youth and women, Kalu who told the crowd he was in Ozuitem to appreciate the people for their support in the last general election also distributed bags of rice and fertilizers with cash gifts to support them in agriculture.

He urged the people to continue supporting President Tinubu and the APC government, assuring them of more dividends of democracy.

JUST IN: Mass defection of LP, PDP, APGA members to APC in Abia

Related Topics:APC APGA defection LP PDP

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Politics

Imo APC Defies Court Ruling, Insists Uzodimma Remains Senatorial Candidate

Published

56 minutes ago

October 29, 2026

Trends Admin

Imo APC Defies Court Ruling, Insists Uzodimma Remains Senatorial Candidate

The Imo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has insisted that Governor Hope Uzodimma remains its candidate for Imo West Senatorial District in the 2027 general elections, despite a Federal High Court judgment recognising former governor Rochas Okorocha as the party’s validly nominated candidate.

The party’s position sets the stage for a fresh legal and political battle over the APC’s senatorial ticket following the judgment delivered in Abuja on Thursday, October 29, 2026.

In a statement issued by its State Publicity Secretary, Onwuasoanya FCC Jones, the APC maintained that Uzodimma won the party’s senatorial primary and secured the nomination with the support of the majority of its members.

“The party wishes to state without any confusion that His Excellency Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma, CON, remains the candidate of our party for Imo West Senatorial District, having won the primaries of our great party with the overwhelming support of the majority of our party members,” the statement said.

The party, however, indicated that it would examine the court’s decision before determining its next course of action.

“The party’s legal department shall study the outcome of a legal intervention in this matter and act accordingly,” it added.

The APC also urged its members and supporters to remain focused and committed to securing victory for the party across the state in the 2027 elections.

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The party’s declaration came hours after the Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to remove Uzodimma’s name as the APC candidate for Imo West and recognise Okorocha instead.

Justice Obiora Egwuatu, who delivered the judgment, held that the evidence presented before the court established that Okorocha won the APC senatorial primary conducted on May 18, 2026.

The judge consequently directed the APC to submit Okorocha’s name to INEC as its candidate for the senatorial district and ordered the electoral commission to publish his name.

Uzodimma was also ordered to stop presenting himself as the APC’s candidate for the senatorial election scheduled for January 16, 2027.

The dispute followed Okorocha’s legal challenge to INEC’s recognition of Uzodimma as the winner of the party’s primary.

In the suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1854/2026, Okorocha questioned the electoral commission’s decision to publish Uzodimma’s name despite his claim that the primary election results and monitoring records showed that he had won.

Okorocha filed the case on August 13, 2026, seeking an order compelling INEC to recognise him as the party’s duly nominated candidate.

During the proceedings, Uzodimma, the APC and INEC opposed the suit, presenting arguments and evidence in support of the governor’s nomination.

The governor’s camp maintained that Uzodimma won the primary election, with a representative of the party’s election committee claiming that he secured 230,464 votes against Okorocha’s 1,098 votes.

Okorocha’s camp, however, presented a different account of the primary election, including documents it said supported his claim to the ticket.

After considering the evidence before it, the court ruled in favour of the former governor.

Okorocha, who governed Imo State from 2011 to 2019, previously represented Imo West in the Senate between 2019 and 2023. His latest bid to return to the National Assembly has revived his longstanding political rivalry with Uzodimma.

Uzodimma, who is serving his second and final term as governor, is seeking to secure the APC ticket for the senatorial district ahead of the 2027 elections.

The party’s insistence that he remains its candidate, despite the court’s orders, leaves the dispute at a critical stage as the APC considers its legal options.

The final outcome could determine who represents the party in the contest for Imo West and shape the political calculations surrounding the district ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Imo APC Defies Court Ruling, Insists Uzodimma Remains Senatorial Candidate

Politics

BREAKING: Court Sacks Uzodinma as APC Candidate, Declares Okorocha Winner of Imo West Primary

Published

3 hours ago

October 29, 2026

Trends Admin

BREAKING: Court Sacks Uzodinma as APC Candidate, Declares Okorocha Winner of Imo West Primary

A Federal High Court in Abuja has removed Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Imo West Senatorial District in the 2027 general elections and ordered the recognition of former governor Rochas Okorocha as the party’s candidate.

Justice Obiora Egwuatu delivered the judgment on Thursday, October 29, 2026, ruling that evidence before the court established that Okorocha won the APC senatorial primary conducted on May 18, 2026.

The judge ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise and publish Okorocha’s name as the APC candidate. He also directed the party to forward Okorocha’s name to the electoral commission and restrained Uzodinma from continuing to present himself as the party’s candidate for the senatorial contest scheduled for January 16, 2027.

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The judgment followed a legal challenge filed by Okorocha against the recognition of Uzodinma as the winner of the party’s primary. The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1854/2026, questioned INEC’s decision to recognise the incumbent governor as the party’s nominee.

The dispute has been marked by conflicting accounts of the primary election. INEC’s previously reported official result credited Uzodinma with 230,464 votes and Okorocha with 1,098 votes. However, Okorocha challenged that outcome in court, insisting that he won the primary.

The ruling represents a major development in the contest for the Imo West Senate seat, although the political and legal implications may depend on any further court proceedings.

Following the judgment, the Imo State chapter of the APC maintained that Uzodinma remained its candidate, saying its legal department would study the court’s decision and determine the party’s next steps.

The development leaves the party facing a dispute over who should represent it in the senatorial election, with the court’s directives placing Okorocha in line for the ticket.

The court’s ruling and the APC’s response have both been reported by Nigerian media outlets.

BREAKING: Court Sacks Uzodinma as APC Candidate, Declares Okorocha Winner of Imo West Primary

Politics

2027: Akpabio Says Tinubu’s Online Critics Are Paid, Mobilises Northern Youths

Published

8 hours ago

October 29, 2026

Trends Admin

Senate President, Godswill Akpabio

2027: Akpabio Says Tinubu’s Online Critics Are Paid, Mobilises Northern Youths

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has alleged that people criticising President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his supporters on social media are being paid, urging northern youths to intensify grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general election.

Akpabio made the remarks on Wednesday when members of the Arewa Revival Project, a youth organisation drawn from Nigeria’s 19 northern states, visited him at his office and presented him with an award in recognition of his contributions to nation-building.

The delegation was led by the group’s coordinator, Mustafa Ibrahim.

While thanking the organisation for the recognition, Akpabio urged its members to mobilise support for Tinubu’s re-election and engage young Nigerians at the grassroots to explain what he described as the benefits of continuity in government.

He warned that the group could face difficulties countering online criticism because, according to him, some of those attacking the President and his supporters were financially motivated.

“It is not going to be easy for you because most of those who are attacking the President and attacking these young men on social media are being paid. You are not being paid,” the Senate President said.

Akpabio advised the youths to organise regular meetings and engage Nigerians directly, rather than relying solely on social media to promote the administration’s policies.

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“You may not be able to have the kind of energy and time with them. But once in a while, gather the youth together and let them see the truth and know the truth,” he said.

The Senate President, however, did not provide evidence to substantiate his allegation that people criticising Tinubu online were receiving payments.

Akpabio also defended the President’s economic policies, particularly the tax reforms, arguing that the administration was taking steps to reduce Nigeria’s dependence on crude oil and diversify the economy.

He urged young Nigerians to look beyond criticism on social media and assess the government’s policies and initiatives.

The former Akwa Ibom State governor also praised Tinubu’s performance, saying members of the National Assembly had endorsed the President for a second term.

“No President has achieved the level of development that he has done in this country today since independence,” Akpabio said.

His remarks come as political activities gather momentum ahead of the 2027 general election, in which Tinubu is expected to seek re-election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Opposition parties and other critics have continued to question the administration’s economic policies, particularly their effects on the cost of living and household purchasing power.

Akpabio also expressed optimism that Nigeria could soon establish a state police system, claiming that about 30 state Houses of Assembly had endorsed the proposed constitutional amendment.

He said decentralised policing could strengthen the country’s security architecture and improve responses to local security threats.

Earlier, Ibrahim said the group considered Akpabio deserving of the award because of his contributions to national development and the work of the National Assembly under his leadership.