2027 Election: Drama as APC insists Senator Nwaogu Remains its Member, She Responds
- The Abia APC has claimed Senator Nkechi Nwaogu has not officially resigned her membership of the party
- The latest drama on the issue followed a recent Supreme Court ruling on politicians who contest a primary in one party before joining another
- However, Nwaogu's media team has denied the APC's claim, saying the lawmaker has since moved to the NDC
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The Abia state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has insisted that Senator Nkechi Justina Nwaogu remains a bonafide member of the party.
In May 2026, Punch reports that Nwaogu announced her resignation from the APC following the outcome of the party's primary election.
She subsequently announced that she had joined the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), where she eventually clinched the party's senatorial ticket for Abia Central.
Source: Facebook
But in a statement issued by Uche Aguoru, its publicity secretary in the state, on Friday, September 25, 2026, and sent to Legit.ng, the party maintained that the lawmaker remains its member.
Abia APC speaks on Nwaogu's membership
According to the statement, Nwaogu purchased the APC senate nomination form and participated in the party's senatorial primary election held on May 18, 2026, scoring 12,033 votes to emerge as runner-up, with Hon Erasmus Cishark serving as returning officer and chairman of the primary election committee.
The APC said Nwaogu's name is contained in its membership register submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on May 10, 2026, and that there is no record of her resignation from the party. It added that her registration and membership card details remain in the party's database as well as INEC's database.
Aguoru said the party had no reason to believe the senator would knowingly place herself in a position of double registration, given her experience as a lawmaker. He called on the NDC to desist from identifying the lawmaker as its member.
Abia APC vs Nwaogu: Context to latest saga explained
The APC's latest statement followed a ruling by the Supreme Court, on Thursday, September 24, 2026, which upheld an appeal by INEC affirming the validity of sections 77 and 84 of the Electoral Act, 2026 (as amended), which govern eligibility to contest primary elections and requirements relating to political parties' membership registers.
The ruling has since generated debate across the country, with reports indicating that politicians who contested a primary election in one party before defecting to another ahead of the same election cycle could be affected.
Senator Nwaogu's camp responds
Reacting to the APC's claim, the special adviser on media and publicity to Senator Nwaogu, Victor Kelechi Onyendi, denied that she remains a member of the APC, saying she has since moved to the NDC and is not returning.
In a statement on his Facebook page, Onyendi described Nwaogu as the NDC's senatorial candidate for Abia Central and said she remains active in the party. He said the continued references to her by the APC reflected her standing in the political space.
He urged the APC to focus on presenting its candidates and addressing what he described as its internal issues.
Source: Twitter
Read more Abia-related reports
- Tinubu, Abia governor Alex Otti reportedly meet in Aso Rock amid push for Nnamdi Kanu’s release
- 2027 election: Abia APC debunks internal crisis claims, tackles LP
- Nnamdi Kanu or defection to APC? Abia governor breaks silence on actual reason for meeting with Tinubu
APC alleges destruction of Tinubu, Benjamin Kalu's billboards
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the APC raised an alarm over alleged destruction of campaign billboards belonging to President Bola Tinubu and the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon Benjamin Kalu, in Bende local government area.
The party described the act as intentional, citing its preliminary investigations into the matter.
Source: Legit.ng
