The Abia State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has disowned an alleged petition reportedly sent to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) requesting the relocation of the Bende collation centre ahead of the 2027 general election. The party described the document as fake and called on INEC and security agencies to disregard it.
APC Disowns Alleged Petition to INEC
In a statement released on Saturday, September 19, 2026, the party's Publicity Secretary, Uche Aguoru, addressed the matter. The statement, shared with Legit.ng, clarified that the APC did not initiate the petition. According to the party, the alleged petition reportedly asked INEC to move the collation centre for the Presidential and National Assembly elections from Bende to Umuahia, the state capital.
The APC further explained that the alleged letter cited a supposed plan to burn down the Bende Local Government Council, which has hosted the INEC collation centre for decades. The petition also reportedly requested that, if the first request could not be granted, the collation centre should be moved to an open central school in Bende town.
Party Calls on INEC and Security Agencies
The APC stated that it was aware of moves it described as attempts to disrupt the collation of results in Bende. It called on INEC to treat the alleged petition as fake and unfounded. The party emphasised that the collation centre in Bende has served the area for many years and should not be relocated based on a document it says did not come from the APC.
The party also appealed to the Directorate of State Security, the National Security Adviser, the Abia State Commissioner of Police, and the Inspector General of Police to take necessary security measures to protect the votes of the people of Bende in the coming elections. It asked the Abia State Commissioner of Police to investigate the origin of the petition and secure public facilities, especially the INEC collation centre in Bende.
APC Readiness for 2027 Election
The party further urged the Inspector General of Police to caution anyone behind any attempt to cause confusion or crisis in Bende during the elections. The APC also addressed residents of the state about its readiness for the 2027 election, having recently bragged about its capacity to defeat the incumbent governor, Alex Otti of the Labour Party (LP).
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the Abia APC called out 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.
