Imo West, North APC Crisis: Group Cautions Senatorial Aspirants Against Heating Up Polity

A political group, Democracy Alliance (DA), has cautioned politicians seeking to represent Imo West and Imo North senatorial districts under the All Progressives Congress (APC) against escalating tensions over the party’s senatorial primaries ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The group urged the aspirants and other political actors involved in the controversy to resolve their differences internally, describing the crisis as a “self-inflicted family problem” that should not be allowed to undermine the party’s electoral prospects.

DA also warned the politicians against dragging the name of the APC Deputy National Chairman (South), Dr. Ben Nwoye, into the dispute, insisting that his current priority was mobilising support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid and other party candidates.

The group made its position known in a statement jointly signed by its Chairman, Dr. Ejiro Ernest, and Secretary, Mr. Dare Adu, in reaction to the controversy surrounding the party’s senatorial primaries in Imo State, particularly in the West and North senatorial districts.

According to the statement made available to newsmen on Wednesday, the group said that political actors should take responsibility for resolving the disagreement rather than allowing it to distract the APC from preparations for the 2027 elections.

“Whatever is happening in Imo State is a self-inflicted family problem, and the name of the Deputy National Chairman (South), Dr. Nwoye, shouldn't be on their lips. They should seek ways to manage their crisis,” the group stated.

Democracy Alliance further called on the interested politicians to set aside their differences and concentrate on mobilising votes for the APC in the forthcoming elections.

“We are using this medium to call on the key actors in Imo West and North to clean up their mess and plan on how to deliver votes for the APC,” the statement added.

The group maintained that Nwoye was preoccupied with his national responsibilities and political mobilisation across southern Nigeria in support of President Tinubu’s re-election and other APC candidates.

It also challenged those behind the allegations against the deputy national chairman to come forward openly instead of allegedly using a proxy organisation to attack his reputation.

“The sponsors of the media onslaught should be bold enough to come out from hiding and face Nwoye, who roundly defeated them in the political contest, and not hide under a pseudo group to drag his name into what he knows nothing about,” the statement said.

The group's reaction followed a petition by the Justice and Democracy Network to the APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, alleging that party and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) documents relating to the senatorial primaries in Imo State had been manipulated.

The allegations contained in the petition have not been established as proven wrongdoing. The controversy has, however, raised questions about the authenticity of the disputed documents and the circumstances surrounding the party’s senatorial primaries.

DA argued that since the matter was already before the relevant authorities, involving Nwoye in the dispute without establishing his connection to the allegations would amount to an attempt to tarnish his reputation.

The group urged the contending parties to resolve the matter through the appropriate channels and prevent the disagreement from affecting the APC’s preparations for the 2027 general elections.