‘It was fraud’: Valentine Ozigbo challenges Anambra APC primary

Valentine Ozigbo, an aspirant in the just concluded governorship primary of the APC in Anambra State, has petitioned the party’s Appeals Committee over the conduct of the exercise.

Join the Premium Times WhatsApp Community For Quick Access To News and Happenings Around You.

Open in WhatsApp

Mr Ozigbo, who recently defected to the APC from the Labour Party, said in a statement on Tuesday that the APC governorship primary was a “fraud and charade.”

“The sham of April 5 was not just a fraud against me; it was a theft against Ndi Anambra.

“To the architects of that manipulation, I say this: The future cannot be bribed or bullied. The people are watching. History is recording,” he stated.

A former House of Representatives member, Nicholas Ukachukwu, won the APC governorship election conducted on Saturday.

Mr Ukachukwu scored 1,455 votes to win the APC’s governorship ticket, while Mr Ozigbo polled only 67.

Two other aspirants, Edozie Madu and Johnbosco Onunkwo, secured eight and 26 votes, respectively.

Stay Ahead with Premium Times

Add as a preferred source on Google

The Independent National Electoral Commission set a 10 April deadline for political parties to complete their primary elections.

The governorship election is scheduled to take place on 8 November 2025.

‘It was a charade, heist.’

In the Tuesday statement, Mr Ozigbo said he had begun efforts to challenge the poll’s outcome.

“Yesterday (Monday), I formally submitted a petition to the Appeals Committee of our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), challenging the so-called primary election conducted in Anambra on April 5, 2025.

“That exercise, by all observable standards, was a charade – a well-orchestrated heist designed to deliver a predetermined outcome,” he said in the statement on his Facebook page.

The politician alleged that there were irregularities and manipulations in the election.

“The facts are now public: Non-party members populated the delegate list; genuine party faithful were locked out or violently barred from voting; accreditation was either skipped or manipulated; and votes were counted without transparency.

“This is not just about me. It is about the soul of our democracy. About the values we claim to represent. About the future, we owe our children,” he said.

‘I’ll remain in APC to fight; I am not leaving.’

Mr Ozigbo said that since his loss at the poll, many of his supporters have been asking him about his next political move.

“My answer is simple and unshaken: I will stay the course. I did not join politics to decorate the register, receive accolades, or shop for appointments.

READ ALSO: Nigeria’s challenges lie less in federalism, more in fiscal responsibility – VP Shettima

“I came to be part of a generation that restores integrity to our political system, that makes governance accountable, and that builds the kind of country we all deserve,” he said.

“Thus, I will not be distracted. I will not run to the Senate, nor will I pivot to another political opportunity for the sake of ambition. I will stand firm, here, in the APC, and I will fight this good fight to its just end.”

He appealed to his supporters to stay strong, assuring them that “we will not back down and will not break.”

“Let us remind the APC that this election is a defining moment — not just for Anambra, but for the credibility of our party and the soul of our nation.

“The party still has a chance to right this wrong and present a candidate who can truly win and govern,” Mr Ozigbo said.