Daily Justice

Anambra, Nigeria – 18 April 2025
Valentine Ozigbo, a prominent aspirant in the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Anambra 2025 governorship election, has filed a lawsuit challenging the legitimacy of the party’s primary election held on 5 April 2025. The legal action, lodged on 16 April 2025, contests the process that declared Mr Nicholas Ukachukwu as the APC flagbearer for the November 2025 election, branding it a “well-scripted illusion” marred by fraud and irregularities.

In a strongly worded statement, Ozigbo described the primary as a “theatre of deceit,” alleging that a contrived delegate list, unrecognised by seasoned party members, was used to orchestrate a predetermined outcome. He claimed that genuine APC members were excluded, with the process descending into chaos marked by thugs, violence, and hired individuals posing as delegates. “No accreditation, no order,” Ozigbo stated, asserting that the exercise failed to meet the party’s constitutional standards.

Ozigbo further argued that Ukachukwu was ineligible to contest the primary, failing to meet the APC’s minimum eligibility criteria. He accused the party machinery of being manipulated to favour Ukachukwu’s ambition, a move he said has led to mass resignations, lawsuits, and broken trust within the APC in Anambra. “While he fiddles like Emperor Nero, APC in Anambra is burning,” Ozigbo remarked, criticising Ukachukwu’s claim that the primary was “free and fair” as an insult to the party’s integrity.

The lawsuit follows Ozigbo’s unsuccessful attempts to resolve the issue through the APC’s internal mechanisms, including appeals to the party’s Appeal Committees after both the Delegate Congress and the primary. Three other aspirants had withdrawn from the race, citing similar concerns about the process’s credibility.

Ozigbo emphasised that his legal challenge is not driven by personal ambition but by a commitment to justice, fairness, and due process. “I am not desperate for power,” he said. “I seek only what is just, and what is right.” He expressed hope that the APC could serve as a platform for reform and progress but stressed the need to address internal wrongs to restore the party’s credibility.

The controversy has sparked widespread debate within Anambra’s political circles, with Ozigbo’s actions seen as a bold stand against alleged electoral malpractice. “Our aim is not to fracture the party but to fortify it,” he declared, calling for the restoration of the APC’s integrity to secure its future as a vehicle for democratic leadership.