By Kamsi Anayo, Awka
A massive wave of defections has hit the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Anambra State, following growing discontent over the outcome of the party’s governorship primary held on April 5 in Awka, the state capital.
The APC, which had once positioned itself as a viable opposition force capable of mounting a serious challenge to incumbent Gov. Charles Soludo in the upcoming Nov. 8 gubernatorial election, is facing an internal crisis of unprecedented scale.
Key party leaders, stakeholders, and members are resigning en masse, threatening to cripple the party’s structure across the state.
No fewer than six local government party chairmen had resigned as at April 11.
Among them is the chairman of Nnewi South LGA, alongside several other prominent stakeholders. In Njikoka LGA, particularly in Nimo Ward, nearly the entire executive arm of the party has stepped down.
The situation is similar in Ihiala, Ogbaru, Oyi, Anambra East, and Dunukofia LGAs, where both local government and ward-level structures have reportedly collapsed due to widespread resignations.
Sources link the defections to the emergence of Sir Paul Chukwuma as the governorship candidate of the Young Progressives Party (YPP), just two days after.
Between April 10 and April alone, the APC is estimated to have lost hundreds of members to the YPP and other political platforms.
Several resignation letters made public by former APC leaders cited the flawed primary process as the primary reason for their departure.
Many described the election, which produced Mr. Nicholas Ukachukwu as the APC’s flag bearer, as fraught with irregularities and lacking transparency.
The discontent began even before the primary. A day before the exercise, Sir Paul Chukwuma—a founding member and leading aspirant—resigned from the APC.
Another aspirant, Hon. Chukwuma Umeoji, also withdrew from the race, followed by Prof. Obiora Okonkwo, who stepped down on the day of the primary.
These withdrawals, interpreted by many as votes of no confidence in the party’s internal democratic process, have now come back to haunt the APC.
Among the high-profile exits is Hon. Ralph Okeke, a former member of the House of Representatives and erstwhile member of the APC Board of Trustees.
He has defected to the YPP and now serves on the party’s Board of Trustees.
Similarly, Hon. Mike Ejezie, a respected stakeholder in Ihiala and former State Chairman of the defunct ANPP, has also joined the YPP and currently holds the position of Southeast Zonal Chairman.
Chief Jude Osude, a notable APC chieftain and community leader from Aguata LGA, is also reported to be finalizing his move to the YPP.
He has not confirmed this.
With key figures abandoning ship and party structures disintegrating at the grassroots level, the APC in Anambra faces a daunting challenge in rebuilding its credibility and relevance ahead of the November elections.
