By George Ozalla
A former aspirant for the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship ticket in Anambra State, Valentine Ozigbo, has filed a lawsuit challenging the legitimacy of the party’s primary election that produced Nicholas Ukachukwu as its flagbearer for the November 2025 election.
In a statement titled “For a Future Worth Fighting For,” Ozigbo alleged that the April 5, 2025 primary election was a “well-scripted illusion” characterized by the use of a contrived delegate list, lack of accreditation, violence, and thuggery. He claimed that real APC members were locked out while hired hands masqueraded as delegates. Ozigbo stated that three aspirants withdrew from the race because they recognized a set-up.
Ozigbo emphasized that his aim was not to chase shadows or titles but to defend the values of justice, fairness, and due process. He expressed concern that the APC’s integrity was at stake and that the party’s future as a vehicle for democratic leadership was being compromised. He criticized Ukachukwu for declaring the primary election “free and fair” despite the alleged irregularities, saying it was an insult to the intelligence of the people and a stain on the party’s integrity.
While Ukachukwu “dances, oblivious to the smoke and embers” of the party’s crisis, Ozigbo said he would not stand by as the moral architecture of the party collapses under the weight of fraud. He stated that he had exhausted the party’s internal mechanism by writing to the Appeal Committees after both the flawed Delegate Congress and the Primary.
Ozigbo concluded by emphasizing that his goal was not to fracture the party but to fortify it, restore its integrity, renew its credibility, and secure its future as a vehicle for true democratic leadership. He called on party members to stand up for justice, fairness, and due process, saying that “when a corrupt process attempts to masquerade as legitimacy, we did not stay silent. We stood up. We spoke out. We acted for justice, for our children, and for the future we all deserve.”
