The Abia State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has formally requested the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to review the candidacy of Ifeanyi Elvis Ogbonna, who emerged as the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate for the Ohafia/Arochukwu Federal Constituency ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The request was contained in a statement signed by Uche Aguoru, the party's publicity secretary in Abia State, and shared with Legit.ng on Wednesday, September 30, 2026.
APC Alleges Ogbonna's Dual Party Membership
According to the statement, Ogbonna's name appears 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 further claimed that 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. Barrister Hagler Okorie served as collation officer during that primary.
The party said his subsequent emergence as the NDC's candidate for the same constituency raised questions that it wants INEC to clarify. The APC cited Section 65(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which requires a person seeking election to the National Assembly to be a member of a political party and be sponsored by that party.
Legal Basis: Electoral Act 2026 Provisions
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.
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 reported 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. 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.
