A respected business leader and a leading aspirant in the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship race in Anambra State, Valentine Ozigbo, has issued a statement condemning the April 5 party primary, describing it as a “charade” and a “theft against Ndi Anambra.”
In a message released yesterday, Ozigbo confirmed that he has filed a formal petition before the APC Gubernatorial Primary Appeals Committee, alleging that the process that produced Nicholas Ukachukwu as the party’s flagbearer was riddled with fraud, irregularities, and violations of democratic norms.
“Yesterday, I formally submitted a petition to the Appeals Committee of our great part. That exercise, by all observable standards, was a charade, a well-orchestrated heist designed to deliver a predetermined outcome,” Ozigbo wrote.
Citing widespread manipulation, voter exclusion, and non-transparency in vote counting, Ozigbo asserted that the process violated not only internal party rules but also the broader expectations of fairness and accountability in a democratic system.
Ozigbo, who joined the APC in February after a stint in the Labour Party (LP) and a formidable 2021 governorship run under the PDP, positioned his protest as a defence of democratic values, not a personal grievance.
“This is not just about me. It is about the soul of our democracy. About the values we claim to represent. About the future we owe our children,” he wrote, adding that the “sham of April 5” was a “fraud against me” but more critically “a theft against Ndi Anambra.”
Ozigbo is widely regarded as one of the most formidable contenders in Anambra politics, boasting widespread youth support, a clean image, and a unique ability to bridge Nigeria’s corporate and political landscapes.