Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, representing Abia South senatorial district, may have courted the wrath of his party, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), following a 24-hour ultimatum issued to him by the Abia State Chapter of the party.
He was asked to clear his name over alleged fraternity with the coalition African Democratic Congress (ADC), or face sanctions.
Arising from its caucus meeting on Tuesday night, APGA challenged Senator Abaribe to declare where his loyalty lies and stop political polygamy.
The party also accused Senator Abaribe of abandoning the party and treating its leadership with disdain after using the party’s platform to secure a fifth term in the Red Chamber.
The statement, signed by the party’s Publicity Secretary, Chukwuemeka Nwokoro, said that Senator Abaribe held meetings on August 18 and September 23, respectively, at his event centre in Aba where he allegedly promoted ADC instead of APGA, and challenged him to personally confirm or deny his rumoured defection to ADC.
The statement read in part: “The leadership of APGA in Abia State is not oblivious of the rumours making the rounds that Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, representing Abia South on the platform of APGA, has joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC). This rumour followed the town hall meeting he called on 18/8/25 at the NOBIK Event Centre, Aba, where he addressed some members of his constituency about what he called ‘a coalition’ under the ADC.
“It is also on record that the meeting of 18/8/25 metamorphosed into another meeting held at the same event centre on 22/8/25, anchored by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, wherein he openly and overtly tilted towards promoting ADC to the detriment of APGA, on whose mandate he is occupying the Senate position.
“In confirmation of the obvious body language of Senator Abaribe, which is anti-APGA, the Abia State Secretary of the ADC openly and boldly stated in a radio programme that Senator Abaribe is not only a card-carrying member of ADC in Abia State but also doubles as the leader of ADC in Abia, a bold statement which Senator Abaribe has not denied till date.”
APGA said it had accorded Senator Abaribe enough respect by giving him the opportunity to interact with the party leadership on some vital issues affecting the party “but he intentionally bluffed the invitation for a meeting extended to him, thereby demeaning the party’s leadership.”
The statement said that despite “all these alleged unhealthy political movements by Senator Abaribe,” which the party leadership “sees as compromising actions meant to vilify, ridicule and expose APGA to public odium,” the party had, however, tried to handle the matter with maturity to avoid rancour.
It further read: “Extant laws governing political party membership in Nigeria forbid a person to belong to two different political parties at the same time. Thus, Senator Abaribe cannot belong to APGA and ADC at the same time.
“The action of Senator Abaribe by openly hobnobbing with another political party (ADC) while holding the mandate of APGA as a Senator amounts to a gross violation of the APGA Constitution.
“In view of these, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe is hereby given 24 hours from the date and time of releasing this press statement to personally and publicly refute and/or deny all the speculations making the rounds on his membership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).”
APGA demanded Senator Abaribe’s response in both print and electronic media platforms, failing which the party threatened prompt disciplinary action against him in line with the APGA Constitution.
“This press statement shall serve as adequate notice to Senator Abaribe regarding the decision reached by the party,” it concluded.
Senator Abaribe was elected into the Senate in 2007 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), a platform he had used to win re-election in 2011, 2015, and 2019, but defected to APGA in 2023 to secure a fourth term.
But when contacted, Abaribe’s Media Aide, Uchenna Awom, said the party knew how to access the Senator as its leader in the state and should stop dwelling on rumours.
He said it was unfair for the party to issue an ultimatum to the Senator based on unverified rumours without hearing from him and advised them to stop acting “on subterfuge.”
Awom said: “Senator Abaribe is alive. As APGA leader in Abia, the party has all the channels to access him. He doesn’t have any issues with them. They should write him and personally hear from him.”
Asked if Abaribe had truly defected to ADC, the aide said: “As an experienced politician, he knows how to go about it.”
He added: “Has he communicated to them that he has left APGA? They don’t just sit down and do arm-twisting to get words out of his mouth.”
