….Says any substitution will cost party heavily
By Johnbosco Agbakwuru, Abuja

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia State has warned against substituting the party’s senatorial candidate for Abia South, Hon. Uchenna Erondu, saying any such action could cost the party the seat.

Sir Don Ubani, former Commissioner for Information and Strategy, gave the warning while briefing journalists on Friday in Abuja amid allegations of a subtle move to alter Erondu’s mandate.

Sir Ubani, convener of Abia APC Vanguard, said there was what he described as “unwarranted and unacceptable” interference aimed at derailing the clear will of party members in Abia South.

The Ukwa‑West–born politician, who has held various political and administrative positions, said the primary result that overwhelmingly favoured Hon. Erondu should be allowed to stand without manipulation.

“The people spoke loudly on 18th and 25th May — over 75 percent of our members turned out and handed a massive mandate to Hon. Erondu. To try to foist another candidate now is to trample the voice of the grassroots and to consign APC to defeat in Abia South,” Sir Ubani said.

He accused a former appointee of the late President Muhammadu Buhari, Prince Paul Ikonne, and unnamed “hidden sponsors” of attempting to disrupt party stability, saying the move was not only undemocratic but politically suicidal.

“Prince Ikonne was absent on primary day; he did not even vote for himself. How then can anyone seriously claim he has the grassroots support to carry our flag?” he demanded.

The convener of Abia APC Vanguard highlighted Erondu’s record of party-building and grassroots empowerment, noting that the young legislator personally donated motorcycles to all 65 ward chairmen and vehicles to each of the six local government area chairmen — contributions Ubani said materially improved the party’s coordination during the primaries.

“Hon. Erondu is not a self-seeker; he is an empowerment man,” Ubani said. “He built the party, not his own image. That is why Abia South gave him a landslide victory.”

Ubani also questioned the motivation behind any push for Ikonne, suggesting those backing him were more interested in personal patronage than electoral success.

“If powerful people want to reward Prince Paul, let them find him an appointment — but do not saddle APC with a candidate who cannot win,” he warned.

The Abia APC Vanguard convener commended the Deputy Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, saying the deputy speaker had worked closely and positively with Erondu to ensure a smooth primary across the district.

“We must not let speculative ambitions and external interference undermine the work of men like the Deputy Speaker and the clear choice of party members,” Ubani said.

He warned that the party would lose the Abia South senatorial seat if it imposed a candidate without grassroots backing, and “we will lose abysmally and woefully” to incumbent Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe.
“Abia South is not for sale. The mandate given to Hon. Erondu is voluntary, massive and irrevocable,” he said.

Sir Ubani, who was once publicity secretary of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Abia State, appealed to APC leadership to allow the people’s mandate to stand and avoid decisions that would hand the senatorial seat to the opposition.

“Let no person stand in the way of the people’s mandate,” Ubani concluded. “Hon. Erondu is the man the people want in the 11th Senate.”