The political contest for the Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency has taken a new turn following a request by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia State for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to review the reported candidature of Ifeanyi Elvis Ogbonna under the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
The APC, in a statement signed by its Abia State Publicity Secretary, Uche Aguoru, said questions had arisen over Ogbonna’s membership of the party and his participation in its 2026 House of Representatives primary before emerging as the reported NDC candidate for the 2027 election.
The party is asking INEC to check its records and determine whether Ogbonna remained a registered APC member when he participated in the NDC nomination process, as well as whether his subsequent nomination complied with the applicable electoral laws and regulations.
According to the APC, Ogbonna’s name was included in the party’s membership register submitted to INEC on May 10, 2026, which the party described as the deadline for submission of membership registers.
The APC further claimed that it had no record of Ogbonna resigning his membership before the relevant deadline.
Ogbonna had also obtained the APC Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms and participated in the party’s House of Representatives primary for Arochukwu/Ohafia on May 16, 2026. The APC said he polled 648 votes and finished sixth in the contest, with Barrister Hagler Okorie serving as Collation Officer.
His subsequent emergence as the reported NDC candidate has now turned what might otherwise have been a routine political switch into an issue the APC wants INEC to formally examine.
The party cited constitutional and electoral provisions governing party membership and the nomination of candidates. Section 65(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution requires a person seeking election to the National Assembly to be a member of a political party and sponsored by that party.
The APC also referred to Section 77 of the Electoral Act 2026, which provides for digital membership registers and stipulates that only members whose names appear in the applicable register are eligible to vote or be voted for in party primaries, congresses and conventions. The Supreme Court on September 24, 2026 restored the disputed provisions of Section 77 and Section 84 after an earlier Court of Appeal decision had voided them.
Section 84 of the Act deals with the nomination of candidates by political parties, while the law provides a framework for the conduct and monitoring of party primaries.
Against this background, the APC is asking INEC to establish from its official records whether Ogbonna was eligible to participate in the nomination process of another political party during the same election cycle and whether his reported NDC candidature complied with the law.
The party has called for verification based on documentary evidence, stressing that the issue should be resolved by the electoral commission in accordance with the Constitution, the Electoral Act and applicable INEC regulations.
Ogbonna’s reported NDC candidature is also reflected in a recent published list of candidates for the Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency, which identifies him as the NDC candidate.
The development adds another layer to the increasingly competitive race for the federal constituency, where candidates from several political parties are positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 general election.
For voters in Arochukwu and Ohafia, the immediate question is no longer simply who is contesting the seat, but whether all the names on the ballot will have passed the applicable legal and nomination requirements before the election.
