2027 Election: APC Asks INEC to Review NDC Candidate Ifeanyi Ogbonna's Eligibility
- The All Progressives Congress in Abia has written to the Independent National Electoral Commission over Ifeanyi Ogbonna's candidacy for the 2027 election
- The party claimed Ogbonna contested its House of Representatives primary before he emerged as the NDC's candidate
- The request comes days after a Supreme Court ruling on politicians who contest a primary in one party before joining another
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The Abia state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to review the candidacy of Ifeanyi Elvis Ogbonna as flagbearer of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) for the Ohafia/Arochukwu Federal Constituency in the 2027 election.
The party made the request in a statement signed by Uche Aguoru, its publicity secretary in the state, and sent to Legit.ng on Wednesday, September 30, 2026.
Source: Facebook
Abia APC speaks on Ifeanyi Ogbonna's NDC candidacy
According to the statement, Ogbonna's name is contained in the APC's membership register submitted to INEC on May 10, 2026, and the party has no record of his resignation before that deadline.
The APC said Ogbonna obtained its expression of interest and nomination forms and participated in its House of Representatives primary for Ohafia/Arochukwu on May 16, 2026, where he polled 648 votes to place sixth, with Barrister Hagler Okorie serving as collation officer.
The party added that his subsequent emergence as the NDC's candidate for the same constituency raised questions that require clarity.
Citing Section 65(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the APC said a person seeking election to the National Assembly must be a member of a political party and be sponsored by that party.
The party also cited Section 77 of the Electoral Act 2026, which requires political parties to maintain a digital membership register submitted to INEC ahead of primaries, and provides that only persons on the applicable register are eligible to vote or be voted for at party primaries. It further cited Section 84 of the Act, which governs the nomination of candidates and the conduct of party primaries.
The APC asked INEC to determine, from records in its custody, whether Ogbonna was qualified to participate in another party's primary while still a registered APC member, and whether his nomination by the NDC complied with the Constitution, the Electoral Act, and INEC's regulations.
Source: Facebook
Ifeanyi Ogbonna: Supreme Court ruling on party primaries
The APC's request comes days after the Supreme Court, on Thursday, September 24, 2026, upheld an appeal by INEC affirming the validity of sections 77 and 84 of the Electoral Act, 2026 (as amended), covering 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 in one party before defecting to another within the same election cycle could be affected. The APC's request over Ogbonna's candidacy follows a similar one it recently made concerning Senator Nkechi Nwaogu's move to the NDC.
At the time of filing this report, INEC had not responded to the APC's request, while the NDC and Ogbonna had not issued a public reaction to the claims.
APC alleges destruction of Tinubu, Benjamin Kalu's billboards
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the APC raised 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
