2027 Election: Abia APC Defends Eric Opah’s Emergence as Guber Candidate
- The Abia state chapter of the All Progressives Congress has said the emergence of Eric Opah as its 2027 governorship candidate remains sacrosanct
- Opah has been in the spotlight since he clinched the APC’s governorship ticket in Abia, with some challenging his victory
- But addressing the saga, the state chapter of the party insisted that due process was followed in the election that produced him
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia state has maintained that Eric Opah remains its governorship candidate for the 2027 governorship election.
Recall that the state chapter of the party conducted its 2027 governorship primary election on Thursday, May 21, 2026, and subsequently announced Opah as the winner of the exercise.
Source: Facebook
The party said Opah polled a total of 125,977 votes to defeat Henry Ikoh, who scored 5,905 votes. His emergence as winner had followed initial rumours that he was disqualified from participating in the APC's guber primary, a claim debunked by the party.
However, the outcome of the election has been a subject of conversation online in recent weeks, with some alleging that Ikoh won the exercise.
Abia APC addresses claims around Eric Opah
Addressing journalists at a briefing on Monday, June 22, 2026, Uche Aguoru, the party’s spokesperson in the state, tackled those behind narratives challenging Opah’s victory.
According to Punch, Aguoru also faulted claims that Opah was a new member of the party when he won the governorship ticket.
He explained that the guber candidate joined the APC in 2023 and had remained an integral part of the party by supporting several of its activities at the local government and ward levels.
The Abia APC spokesperson added that the claims that Ikoh won the party’s governorship primary election were unfounded.
“In Ikwuano, the local government of Chief Henry Ikechukwu Ikoh, he scored 2,403 votes, while Chief Eric Opah scored 3,486 votes in the same area, showing that even in his own locality, he was defeated by Opah,” he was quoted as saying.
Source: Twitter
Abia: National working committee reviewing final list
Also speaking, Aguoru clarified that the national working committee of the party is still vetting the final list of candidates as part of its internal processes.
He added that such a review became imperative to “ensure that all legal issues surrounding the candidacy are properly addressed”.
The APC in Abia is seeking to wrestle power from Alex Otti, the incumbent governor of the state, who is seeking re-election in 2027. Otti was elected governor of the state under the Labour Party (LP) in 2023.
Opah will battle Otti and other candidates at the forthcoming general elections.
The party previously debunked claims of disunity among its members in the state ahead of next year’s general election.
2027: APC blasts Otti over political loyalty
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the Abia APC called out Alex Otti over his loyalty as he pursues re-election in the 2027 general election.
The party claimed that the governor is pretending to support the President Bola Tinubu-led federal government while secretly working against the ruling administration.
Source: Legit.ng
