A fresh political dispute has erupted in Abia State over the 2027 senatorial ambition of former Abia Central lawmaker, Senator Nkechi Nwaogu, with the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) giving conflicting accounts of her party membership.
The NDC has declared Nwaogu its candidate for Abia Central and insisted that her candidacy remains valid, while the APC maintains that she is still a registered member of the party.
The controversy intensified after the NDC, through its Publicity Secretary, Emeka Luis Okoro, issued a statement Friday defending Nwaogu’s candidacy.
The party said Nwaogu joined the NDC before the May 10, 2026 deadline set by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for political parties to submit their digital membership registers for the 2027 general elections.
According to the NDC, Nwaogu never contested the APC senatorial primary and therefore remains its candidate for the January 2027 election.
The party urged its supporters to disregard claims questioning her candidacy, declaring that she “remains on the ballot.”
The APC, however, strongly rejected the claim.
In a statement issued Saturday by its Abia State Publicity Secretary, Uche Aguoru, the party described Nwaogu as a bona fide APC member and said its records showed that she purchased the party’s Senate nomination form and participated in its senatorial primary on May 18, 2026.