Politics
JUST IN: Val Ozigbo files lawsuit challenging APC gubernatorial primary
Valentine Ozigbo, a governorship aspirant, has filed a lawsuit at the Federal High Court in Awka seeking to nullify the All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial primary held on April 5, 2025, in Anambra State.
Ozigbo’s suit challenges the legitimacy of the primary election that produced Mr Nicholas Ukachukwu as the APC’s candidate for the November 2025 governorship election. The lawsuit names the APC, Ukachukwu, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as defendants.
Filed through his legal team led by Umeh Kalu, SAN, and B.C. Igwilo, SAN, the suit asks the court to declare Ukachukwu’s nomination invalid and to compel the party to recognize Ozigbo as the rightful candidate. The filing is supported by internal APC communications, delegate registers, and references to the party’s constitution.
In a strongly worded personal statement titled “For a Future Worth Fighting For,” Ozigbo decried the APC primary as a “well-scripted illusion” riddled with irregularities and orchestrated manipulation.
“When institutions falter, it is the duty of conscience to rise. I have taken that stand—not for self, but for truth, for justice, and for Ndi Anambra,” he wrote.
Ozigbo alleged that the primary was conducted using a falsified delegate list populated by individuals unknown even to seasoned party leaders, while legitimate APC members were denied access.
“There was no accreditation, no order—just thugs, violence, and a herd of hired hands masquerading as delegates,” he said. “A predetermined outcome had been written before the game even began.”
He also claimed that Ukachukwu failed to meet the basic eligibility criteria required to run under the APC, yet “the party machinery was twisted to serve his ambition.”
Following the controversial primary, the APC in Anambra has witnessed a wave of resignations by local government and ward executives, with several members defecting to other parties or withdrawing from active participation.
“Now, Ukachukwu parades himself, declaring the theatre of deceit that April 5 represents as ‘free and fair.’ It is an insult to the intelligence of our people and a stain on the integrity of our party,” Ozigbo stated.
“While he fiddles like Emperor Nero, APC in Anambra is burning. The house is on fire—mass resignations, lawsuits, broken trust—and the so-called candidate dances, oblivious to the smoke and embers.”
Ozigbo, a former presidential adviser and ex-CEO of Transcorp Plc, stressed that his legal action is not driven by desperation for power, but by a need to uphold democratic standards and internal party discipline.
“I seek only what is just, and what is right,” he declared. “Having exhausted our party’s internal mechanisms, including appeals against the flawed delegate congress and primary, I have turned to the courts—not to chase shadows or titles, but to defend the values that matter: justice, fairness, due process.”
He emphasized that the goal of the legal challenge is not to break the party, but to reform and strengthen it.
“Our aim is not to fracture the party but to fortify it; to restore its integrity, renew its credibility, and secure its future as a vehicle for true democratic leadership.”
Ozigbo concluded his statement with a call for democratic accountability and a warning against normalizing electoral malpractice within political parties.
“Let history record that when a corrupt process attempted 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.”
The Federal High Court in Awka has yet to assign a date for the hearing of the case. The outcome of this suit could significantly alter the trajectory of the APC’s campaign in Anambra and reshape internal political dynamics ahead of the November governorship election.
