Anambra: Outrage over Result Sheet Snatching at APC Primaries, Paul Chukwuma Threatens Lawsuit

By Our Correspondent

Tension, outrage and sharp disagreements have continued to trail the All Progressives Congress (APC) House of Representatives primaries in Anambra State following allegations of result sheet snatching, disruption of the electoral process and violent invasion of party secretariats by suspected political thugs.

One of the aspirants for the Anambra East/West Federal Constituency seat, Patrick Obalim Udoba, popularly known as “Ezego-Anami,” has called for the cancellation of the primaries in 11 wards of Anambra East Local Government Area over alleged irregularities and violent interference by hoodlums.

Udoba, who spoke with journalists at his Ngozika Estate residence in Awka on Sunday, urged the leadership of the APC to suspend the announcement of results from the affected areas pending proper ratification in line with the party’s constitution and electoral guidelines.

He appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party to intervene in the matter to avert what he described as a miscarriage of democratic process.

According to him, the alleged incident occurred during the conduct of the primaries in Anambra East Local Government Area, the home council of the state APC chairman, Emmanuel Anosike.

“I am very sad with the way and manner the primaries were conducted in Anambra East Local Government Area,” Udoba lamented.

The aspirant alleged that out of the 15 wards in the council area, result sheets from 11 wards were allegedly snatched by suspected hoodlums, leaving only four wards intact.

“Anambra East has 15 wards, and out of the 15, results from 11 wards were snatched while the remaining four are intact. I want the election committee to cancel the exercise in the affected wards or alternatively count the four wards transparently to prove my point,” he stated.

He further alleged that armed thugs invaded the APC secretariat in Otuocha, venue for the distribution and collation of election materials, shooting sporadically into the air before carting away sensitive materials, including result sheets.

Udoba, who is currently representing Anambra West State Constituency in the Anambra State House of Assembly, disclosed that he contested the primary alongside Mr Hilary Uduh and Lady Ifeoma Chukwuma.

The development has sparked intense reactions among party faithful and political stakeholders across the state, with some aggrieved aspirants and their supporters demanding outright cancellation of the exercise.

Meanwhile, former governorship candidate of the Young Progressives Party (YPP), Paul Chukwuma, has threatened legal action against individuals allegedly linking him to the disruption and snatching of election materials.

Chukwuma, who recently returned to the APC after contesting the November 8, 2025 governorship election under the YPP platform, denied involvement in the controversy, describing the allegations against him as false and malicious.

Reacting to claims circulating on social media, Chukwuma said he had remained overseas for months following the burial of his sister, who died in Germany shortly after the governorship election.

“So how on earth could anyone link or connect me to House of Representatives primary election? More so, I am not connected to any of the three candidates vying for the Reps seat,” he queried.

“What I could not do for myself during my governorship election because electoral violence and misconduct are not in my character, how then could I do so for someone else?” he added.

He insisted that he would immediately institute legal proceedings against those linking his name to the alleged electoral misconduct.

While Lady Ifeoma Chukwuma and Hilary Uduh declined comments, insisting that the official results were yet to be announced, reports indicated that similar disagreements also erupted in the Idemili Federal Constituency primary election.

In the Idemili contest, Barrister Kingsley Ezekwelu was said to have won in most of the wards to emerge victorious, while another aspirant, Innocent Igboekwe, reportedly rejected the outcome and called for cancellation of the election alongside Chief Epiphany.

The aggrieved aspirants alleged that sensitive election materials, especially result sheets, were snatched at the APC state secretariat in Awka in full public glare at about 5:30 p.m. on Saturday.

When contacted, the APC state chairman, Senator Emmanuel Anosike, said it was too early to make definitive comments on the matter as collation was still ongoing.
“More than half of the results are yet to be received, so it is premature to make reasonable comments,” the APC chairman stated.

Political observers say the growing controversy surrounding the APC primaries may deepen internal divisions within the party at a time it is seeking to strengthen its foothold in Anambra State ahead of the 2027 general elections amid stiff competition from the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and other opposition parties.