Abia State chapter of APC might be getting over its fears of a potential crisis following the peaceful conduct of the House of Representatives primary elections, during which Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, and immediate past Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, were returned unopposed.
While Kalu won the APC ticket to return to the green chamber of the National Assembly to represent Bende Federal Constituency for the third consecutive time, Onyejeocha emerged the APC candidate for Isuikwuato/Umunneochi federal constituency in her bid to return to House of Representatives for the fifth term.
Onyejeocha represented the constituency from 2007 till 2023, when she lost to Labour Party’s Amobi Ogah currently occupying the seat.
Announcing the results of the primary elections Saturday night at the state party headquarters in Umuahia, Chairman of Abia APC National Assembly Primaries Committee, Erasmus Cishak, said the member representing Ukwa East/Ukwa West Federal Constituency, Hon. Chris Nkwonta, clinched the party’s ticket, while a former federal lawmaker, Hon. Uzo Azubuike, would be staging a comeback as he emerged victorious in the contest for Aba North/Aba South federal Constituency ticket, which he had represented on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Other winners, according to Cishak, were a former Speaker of Abia State House of Assembly, Hon. Chinedum Orji, who picked the Ikwuano/Umuahia North/Umuahia South federal Constituency ticket; Hon.
Uzoma Ihuka in Isiala Ngwa North/Isiala Ngwa South Federal Constituency; Hon. Udo Alozie in Obingwa/Osisioma/Ugwunagbo Federal Constituency; and Hon. Ikenna Nicholas Ukwa in Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency.
Cishak commended party members and stakeholders for their peaceful conduct during the exercise, and said his committee was fair, transparent and ensured credibility throughout the election process.
Reacting, Kalu described the exercise as rancour-free.
He stated, “You know we had a pre-primary election engagement with the stakeholders. We made it very clear that there would be no automatic tickets. We want to test the popularity of our future candidates who are now aspiring.”
At the pre-primary election engagement last Thursday, party leaders had feared that the unwieldy number of 99 aspirants vying to become candidates to contest for 36 elective positions in 2027 might plunge the party into crisis.
They had therefore cautioned against any acts that would lead Abia APC the way of disintegration after the primaries.
Loyalists of the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, on the platform of the APC, seeking to contest the senatorial seats have suffered setback as they failed to meet required conditions of the party at the just concluded screening ahead of the primaries, on Monday.
A statement in Port Harcourt, on Monday, by the publicity secretary of APC in the state, Chibuike Ikenga, revealed that Senator Banigo Ipalibo, an incumbent member of the senate for Rivers West Senatorial District, was not cleared to contest the 2027 election.
A former Secretary to the Rivers State Government, and very close ally of Fubara, Tammy Wenike Danagogo, was also not cleared.
Equally, Tein Jack-Rich was not cleared to run for the senatorial Seat.
More surprising was Ojukaye Flag-Amachree, a known ally of Nyesom Wike, who was disqualified from running in the primaries.
It was observed in the statement that those cleared for the senatorial seats included Felix Obuah for Rivers West Senatorial District, Allwell Onyesoh (Rivers South/East), and Chief Barry Mwara (Rivers South/East).
The committee in charge of the APC House of Representatives primaries in Rivers State on Saturday declared Hon. Dumnamene Robinson Deekor, candidate of the party for Gokana/Khana Federal Constituency, following his victory at the primary election.
Chairman of the committee, Hon. Wahab Owokoniran, who declared the result Saturday evening, at the collation centre at the State APC Secretariat, along Aba Road, Port Harcourt, said Deekor, a sitting member of the House of Representatives, won with 17,073 votes, against Israel Lebura Ngbuelo, who scored 1,220 votes.
Owokoniran declared that Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, a strong ally of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, won the House of Representatives primaries for Obio/Akpor Federal Constituency.
Precious Igwe, who had no opponent, won Port Harcourt Federal Constituency 1 with 5,885 votes. Blessing Amadi won the primaries for Port Harcourt II, Hart Cyril Godwin, another ally of the minister was declared winner of Bonny/Degema Federal Constituency at the primaries after defeating Philmoore Tombodiea Tony.
Felix Uche Nwaeke scored 18,605 votes to clinch the party flag for Eleme/Tai/Oyigbo Federal Constituency, while Isobo Solomon was declared the winner to fly the party’s flag for Akuku-Toru/Asari-Toru Federal Constituency.
Linda Somiari-Steward, currently representing Okrika in the state House of Assembly, won the primaries for Okrika/Ogu/Bolo Federal Constituency, Solomon Bob was declared winner for Obua/Odual/Ahoada-East, while Victor Obuzor, a current Reps member, was declared winner of the party’s primary for Ahoada-West/Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Federal Constituency with 15,626 votes.
The committee further declared Frederick Apiafi winner of the primary for Andoni/Opobo/Nkoro, Ozuzum Nwamaka won Etche/Omuma Federal Constituency with 10, 440 against Obasi Chinazam, while Onyeozu Joy Nyebuchi defeated Adiele Ogbor with 13,704 votes to win the candidacy of Ikwerre/Emohua Federal Constituency.
Segun Awofadeji, Hammed Shittu, James Sowole, Adedayo Akinwale, Okon Bassey, Fidelis David, Sylvester Idowu, Benjamin Nworie, Gbenga Sodeinde, Ahmad Sorondinki, Blessing Ibunge, Yemi Kosoko, Boniface Okoro and Felix Omoh-Asun
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