Abia Senate aspirant challenges NDC ticket award in court
Blessing Ugbo, an aspirant for the Nigerian Democratic Congress ticket in Abia Central, says she won the party’s primary but was excluded when the nomination was later awarded by consensus. She has sued the party and INEC, alleging the eventual beneficiary did not participate and remained an APC member. The party had not responded by publication time.
Blessing Ugbo, a senatorial aspirant of the Nigerian Democratic Congress in Abia Central, says she won the party’s primary election but was denied the ticket. She has taken the party and the Independent National Electoral Commission to court over the dispute. Ugbo told Punch that she bought the Expression of Interest form on May 13, 2026, provided additional financial support to the party and was screened on May 20.
She said she was the only Abia Central aspirant present during the screening. According to her account, the primary was moved from May 28 to May 29 because of flight constraints. She said she attended the process in Umuahia South and deployed agents, with campaign materials, to the other five local government areas in the senatorial district.
Ugbo identified the other aspirants as Abaraukwu and Emeka Nwankpa. She alleged that she won in Umuahia South, Umuahia North, Ikwuano and Isiala Ngwa North, and said she had video evidence from the locations. She also alleged that no venue was provided for Isiala Ngwa South.
In Osisioma, she said the venue was changed from Ngwa High School to Ngwa People’s Club, where no senatorial primary was conducted. Ugbo said the party had told aspirants that results would be declared in Abuja and that nomination forms would be issued because only Expression of Interest forms had initially been sold. She said she was surprised on May 30 to hear that former senator Nkechi Nwogu had received the ticket through consensus.
Ugbo maintains that she never withdrew from the contest and that consensus required written withdrawals from the aspirants. She further alleges that Nwogu was still an APC member when INEC uploaded its membership register and did not participate in the NDC primary. The case was scheduled for hearing at the Federal High Court on September 21 but was adjourned until October 8 after the court’s recess.
NDC Publicity Secretary in Abia, Emeka Lious, promised to provide the party’s position but had not done so by publication time.
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