The APC governorship primary ended with Senator Ukachukwu emerging as the party’s flag bearer, having polled 1,455 votes.
One of the aspirants in the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary in Anambra State, Valentine Ozigbo, has alleged that Governor Chukwuma Soludo is funding the APC’s candidate, Senator Nicholas Ukachukwu, in a bid to weaken the party’s prospects in the forthcoming November 8, 2025 election.
Ukachukwu defeated Ozigbo and other contestants to emerge as the APC candidate for the November 8, 2025 governorship election in Anambra State.
Ozigbo, who spoke on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday, expressed dissatisfaction with the conduct of the APC primary held on April 5.
He made a startling claim, alleging a collaboration between Governor Soludo of the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and the APC candidate.
“Let me make yet another allegation: Soludo is funding Nicholas to weaken the APC. And the only way we can prove this is to invite us to your show and bring a Bible to swear, because these things can’t be easily evidenced,” he declared.
“If it was a semblance of a proper primary, I would have congratulated him,” Ozigbo said when asked if he had spoken with Ukachukwu following the latter’s emergence as candidate. “We haven’t spoken. Why would I congratulate?”
He further stated, “I defeated Soludo in 2021. He knows why he is scared of me becoming a candidate, but I was rigged out. I have it on good authority, based on what I discovered long after it happened.
“I called Soludo back then, congratulated him and moved on — without going to court. But in this case, the wrong is so severe that I’m asking myself, should I allow this impunity to continue? No. I will engage further with the party leadership. Let them convince me this shouldn’t be happening.”
As of the time of filing this report, Governor Soludo is yet to respond to allegations publicly.
The former aspirant also questioned Ukachukwu’s political track record: “Who is Nicholas Ukachukwu? How come he has never won anything since his time at the House of Representatives? Why does he show up at every election? How come the people I defeated are now the ones defeating him?”
These comments came hours after Ukachukwu, in a televised interview, dismissed Ozigbo’s criticisms, saying the former Labour Party member “came from a disadvantaged position” into the APC governorship race.
Ozigbo, in a statement issued on April 8, confirmed he had petitioned the APC Appeals Committee, challenging the legitimacy of the April 5 primary election.
“That exercise, by all observable standards, was a charade – a well-orchestrated heist designed to deliver a predetermined outcome,” Ozigbo said in a Facebook post. “The sham of April 5 was not just a fraud against me; it was a theft against Ndi Anambra.”
He alleged that non-party members were listed as delegates, genuine APC members were either locked out or violently prevented from voting, and the accreditation and vote-counting processes were manipulated.
Despite the setback, Ozigbo reaffirmed his commitment to remain within the APC and fight from within.
“This is not just about me. It is about the soul of our democracy, about the values we claim to represent, and about the future we owe our children. I will stay the course. I did not join politics to decorate the register or receive accolades. I came to restore integrity to our political system. I will stand firm, here in the APC, and I will fight this good fight to its just end,” he said.
The APC governorship primary ended with Senator Ukachukwu emerging as the party’s flag bearer, having polled 1,455 votes.
Ozigbo followed with 67 votes, while other aspirants, Edozie Madu and Johnbosco Onunkwo scored eight and 26 votes, respectively.
The build-up to the primary was marked by controversy. Three top contenders — Sir Paul Chukwuma, Professor Obiora Okonkwo, and Hon. Chuma Umeoji — withdrew over concerns of lack of transparency.
Meanwhile, other major political parties have concluded their primaries. Governor Soludo of APGA emerged unopposed with 3,171 out of 3,175 delegate votes.
The Labour Party produced George Moghalu as its candidate, defeating John Nwosu by 573 to 19 votes.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has scheduled the Anambra governorship election for November 8, 2025.
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