NDC Candidate from Abia Denies APC Membership as Parties Clash

The Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, candidate for Abia Central, Sen. Nkechi Nwaogu, has denied being part of the All Progressives Congress, APC. This comes as both parties fight over her membership and candidacy for the 2027 election.

The APC in Abia State insists that Nwaogu is still a member of their party. On the other hand, the NDC claims she joined them before the deadline for submitting party membership lists to the Independent National Electoral Commission.

Nwaogu, who was the senator for Abia Central from 2007 to 2015 under the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, later joined the APC. She stated that she resigned from the APC in early May.

She spoke on Saturday while the APC and NDC exchanged accusations about her party membership.

The NDC, in a statement on Friday from its Publicity Secretary, Emeka Luis Okoro, titled “Official Clarification: Candidacy Of Abia Central Senatorial Zone Remains Intact,” declared that Nwaogu’s candidacy is valid.

The party made it clear that “the candidacy of our flag bearer for Abia Central Senatorial Zone, Sen. Nkechi Nwaogu, remains intact and unshaken.”

The NDC added, “she became a bona fide member of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Abia State Chapter, before the May 10th deadline set by the Independent National Electoral Commission for political parties to submit their digital membership registers for the 2027 general elections.”

“She never contested or participated in the APC Senatorial Primary Election of 2026 conducted in Abia State,” the NDC said. The party urged its members to “disregard any false information circulating from enemies of the party regarding her candidacy. She remains on the ballot.”

The party also called on its members to give Nwaogu “full and unflinching support” for the party’s victory in the January 2027 general election.

Meanwhile, the APC in Abia, in a statement on Saturday from its Publicity Secretary, Uche Aguoru, rejected the NDC’s claims. They insisted that Nwaogu is still a member of the APC.

Aguoru stated that the APC had seen the NDC’s statement “claiming that our own Mama APC, Distinguished Senator Nkechi Justina Nwaogu, is a member of their party, the NDC.”

According to the statement, “for clarity and to set the record straight, Senator Nkechi Nwaogu remains a bona fide member of the All Progressives Congress (APC).”

The APC said Nwaogu purchased their Senate nomination form and took part in the senatorial primary on May 18, 2026.

The party noted, “Senator Nwaogu purchased the APC Senate nomination form and participated in the APC Senatorial Primary Election held on the 18th day of May 2026. She scored 12,033 votes to emerge as the runner-up in that election conducted by the APC, with Hon. Erasmus Cishark serving as the Returning Officer.”

The APC emphasized, “Senator Nwaogu’s name is in the party’s register submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission on May 10, 2026, which was the last day for submission of party registers. There is no record of her resignation from the All Progressives Congress.”

They expressed confidence that “Mama APC, Senator Nkechi Nwaogu, understands the legal implications of double registration. We have no reason to believe that she would knowingly put herself in such a situation.”

The APC stated that all her registration details, including her membership card, are in their party’s database and the database of the Independent National Electoral Commission as a member of the All Progressives Congress. They repeated that “at no time did our cherished Mama APC resign her membership of the All Progressives Congress.”

The APC then called on the NDC to “stop spreading misleading information that contradicts available records. They should not create confusion among the public where the facts are clear.”

“The membership records of distinguished Senator Nwaogu are documented, and her participation and financial records are verifiable,” the APC added.

When contacted, Nwaogu rejected the APC’s claims, saying, “I don’t belong to APC. I left them a long time ago, in early May. Don’t mind them.”

When asked if she properly resigned from the APC, she replied, “I did. These people are disorganized, disgruntled. You resign at your ward level, not at the state level. And that was what I did. Don’t mind them. They are disgruntled. They know that I am the one to beat. That is why they are claiming me.”

She further stated, “when they did their primary, did they see me? I filled their form, did everything. I saw the handwriting just before the primary, and I didn’t participate.”

PUNCH reported in May that Nwaogu resigned from the APC and joined the NDC.

In the final list published by INEC for the senate, Nwaogu is listed as the NDC candidate, while Atuma Emeka is listed for the APC.