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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Elections & Politics

Abia APC lawmaker rejects report of senatorial ticket substitution

From The Punch · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Erondu Uchenna Erondu Jr., the APC candidate for Abia South Senatorial District, denies reports of his substitution for the 2027 general election.
  • He asserts his lawful nomination, citing his victory in the APC primary election on May 16, 2026, and possessing a Certified True Copy of the results.
  • Erondu argues that any substitution would violate the Electoral Act, which permits changes only in cases of candidate death, voluntary withdrawal, or court order.

Erondu Uchenna Erondu Jr., the designated All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the Abia South Senatorial District, has vehemently rejected claims that his name has been replaced for the upcoming 2027 general election. In a statement issued on Saturday, Erondu Jr. declared the alleged substitution to be both unlawful and unconstitutional, firmly stating his position as the legitimate APC candidate.

The lawmaker, who currently represents the Obingwa West Constituency in the Abia State House of Assembly, detailed his victory in the APC primary election held on May 16, 2026. The primary, conducted across 65 electoral wards in the six local government areas comprising the Abia South Senatorial District, saw his win officially declared by the APC National Working Committee in the presence of officials from the Independent National Electoral Commission and the Department of State Services. He presented a Certified True Copy of the election results, dated June 30, 2026, as evidence of his win.

Reacting to reports suggesting his replacement by Paul Ikonne, Erondu pointed to the Electoral Act of 2026, specifically Section 33. He emphasized that the Act strictly outlines the conditions under which a candidate substitution can occur: death, a signed written notice of voluntary withdrawal, or a court order. "I am alive. I have not withdrawn my candidature. I have never signed or submitted any notice withdrawing my candidature to the All Progressives Congress," he stated, refuting any grounds for his removal.

Erondu urged the APC National Working Committee and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to uphold the Electoral Act and protect his mandate. The controversy arises shortly after the Abia State APC chapter officially announced Erondu Uchenna Erondu as its candidate for the Abia South Senatorial District election, where he is slated to compete against Labour Party candidate Enyinnaya Abaribe.

I am alive. I have not withdrawn my candidature. I have never signed or submitted any notice withdrawing my candidature to the All Progressives Congress

— Erondu Uchenna Erondu Jr.Responding to reports of his substitution as the APC candidate for Abia South Senatorial District.
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Originally published by The Punch. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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