Former Minister of State for Science and Technology, Chief Henry Ikoh, has filed a petition before the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship Primary Election Appeal Committee.
He is challenging the declaration of Chief Eric Opiah as winner of the Abia governorship primary.
In the protest letter, Ikoh said he was duly adopted as the consensus candidate by 13 out of 18 members of the State Working Committee (SWC), in line with the APC guidelines for consensus selection.
He stated that the endorsement followed extensive consultations with party stakeholders across the state, aimed at ensuring unity, fairness, and a broadly acceptable candidate ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
Ikoh expressed surprise that another aspirant was declared winner despite what he described as a valid and documented consensus arrangement backed by the majority of the state party leadership.
He also argued that he was the popular choice of voters during the primary, questioning how another candidate was declared winner against the expressed will of the people.
“My decision to approach the Appeal Committee is to uphold the truth and safeguard the credibility of our great party.
“The consensus arrangement that produced my candidature was genuine, lawful, and supported by 13 out of 18 SWC members,” Ikoh said.
He called on APC members and supporters in Abia to remain calm and peaceful, expressing confidence that the party leadership and the Appeal Committee would dispense justice fairly and transparently.
Ikoh reaffirmed his commitment to the unity and progress of the APC and said he was optimistic the matter would be resolved in line with the party’s constitution and guidelines.
The party had declared Opah, a renowned businessman, as winner of the the May 21 governorship primaries, after he polled 126,977 votes against his lone challenger, Ikoh, who secured 5,905 votes.
