The All Progressives Congress (APC) ward congress in Anambra State, intended to elect delegates for the party’s April 5 gubernatorial primary, descended into chaos on Saturday due to significant delays and allegations of bias. The exercise, meant to select 1,630 delegates across 326 wards, has sparked outrage among party stakeholders and aspirants, with the eight-member Congress Committee, led by Mohammed Abubakar, reportedly vanishing amid the turmoil.
The crisis erupted as the congress, held across the state’s 21 local government areas, failed to commence on time, fueling suspicions of manipulation. By Sunday, more than 24 hours after the event, the committee had yet to release the results, intensifying anxiety among the seven cleared governorship aspirants: Sir Paul Chukwuma, Prof. Obiora Francis Okonkwo, Prince Nicholas Chukwujekwu Ukachukwu, Hon. Chukwuma Michael Umeoji, Chief Valentine Chineto Ozigbo, Johnbosco Obinna Onunkwo, and Chief Esozie Madu. These aspirants, screened last week by the APC National Secretariat in Abuja, are now locked in a high-stakes battle for the party’s ticket ahead of the November 8, 2025, governorship election.
Party stakeholders have voiced strong protests over the committee’s silence, alleging that the delay and the committee’s disappearance—comprising Mohammed Abubakar (Chairman), Egogbamu Okoro, Ba’ande Imam, Augustine Agada, Babangida Abdullahi, Umar Augie, Dr. Chibuzor Nduaguba, and National Secretary Emma Eneukwu—are deliberate moves to favor a specific aspirant. Several contenders have publicly decried the process, claiming it undermines the party’s promise of a free and fair primary, as assured by National Chairman Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje during the screening phase.
Sir Paul Chukwuma, a former national auditor and a leading contender, is reportedly in a fierce contest for delegate support, bolstered by his long-standing contributions to the APC, including funding party infrastructure across the state. However, he faces stiff competition from Prof. Obiora Okonkwo, a billionaire academic and United Nigeria Airlines chairman, and Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu, a prominent businessman and ex-lawmaker, both of whom have rallied significant backing to challenge Chukwuma’s frontrunner status.
The absence of the Abubakar-led committee has only deepened the mistrust, with aspirants and their camps questioning whether the results are being manipulated behind closed doors. As of Saturday evening, the lack of transparency had already cast a shadow over Chukwuma’s bid to secure the delegates’ nod, while Okonkwo and Ukachukwu’s teams accused the process of being rigged to favor a “preferred” candidate.
The ward congress fiasco threatens to derail the APC’s momentum in Anambra, where it has positioned itself as a formidable challenger to the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). With the primary just weeks away, the unresolved crisis risks fracturing party unity and alienating delegates, potentially jeopardizing the APC’s chances in the gubernatorial race. As tensions simmer, all eyes are on the missing committee and the party leadership to restore order and credibility to the process.
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