The All Progressives Congress ward congress in Anambra State has ended in confusion, with allegations that the eight-man congress committee responsible for overseeing the process has gone into hiding.
The congress, conducted across the 326 wards in the state’s 21 Local Government Areas, was aimed at electing delegates for the party’s gubernatorial primary election. However, delays in announcing the results have fueled anxiety among the seven governorship aspirants cleared by the APC national secretariat in Abuja.
Among the aspirants are Sir Paul Chukwuma, Prof. Obiora Francis Okonkwo, and Prince Nicholas Chukwujekwu Ukachukwu, all of whom are vying for the party’s ticket ahead of the APC governorship primaries scheduled for April 5, 2025.
Accusations have emerged, with some party members alleging that the state leadership is attempting to manipulate the outcome of the exercise.
However, the state chairman of the APC, Chief Basil Ejidike, played down the concerns, acknowledging minor challenges but insisting that they were not significant enough to derail the entire process.
“There were small challenges, but such challenges were not enough to derail the whole process,” he said.
Reports indicate that members of the party’s state executive are aligning with different aspirants, contributing to the growing uncertainty surrounding the congress.
Meanwhile, based on the voting patterns observed during the delegates’ election on March 15, three aspirants—one from Anambra North, one from Anambra Central, and another from Anambra South—have emerged as the leading contenders.
An APC official in the state expressed concerns that the chaos surrounding the ward congress could have far-reaching implications for the party’s ability to manage the outcome, potentially leading to internal strife and weakening its chances in the November 8, 2025, governorship election.
“With the delegate elections largely concluded, all eyes are on the Election Supervision Committee. There is a widespread call for the committee to uphold transparency and fairness in the collation of results.
“The credibility of the process is vital for the Anambra APC and the future of democracy in Nigeria. At the heart of democracy lies consensus-building and interest aggregation, principles that thrive on shared values and trust. These ideals cannot be bought or imposed, and nowhere was this more evident than in the Anambra APC delegate elections.
“The election process was marred in a few areas by skirmishes and acts of brigandage by rival aspirants to disrupt an otherwise peaceful process. These unfortunate incidents underscore a fundamental reality: desperation often takes over when inducement fails to sway committed party members.
“However, the Anambra APC members have shown remarkable resilience and clarity of purpose, rejecting attempts to compromise the integrity of the process through violence or financial inducement,” he said.
