…As Wabara flags off membership e-registration in Abia
Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
Deputy National Secretary of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Richard Nnanna Ihediwa, has said the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) should not expect electoral support from the South-East in the 2027 general elections after “superintending the jailing of the region’s son,” Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Kanu was arrested in Kenya and forcibly rendered to Nigeria in 2021 under former President Muhammadu Buhari, and was later sentenced to life imprisonment in November 2025 by Justice James Omotosho.
Speaking at the Abia PDP stakeholders’ meeting and inauguration of Local Government Caretaker Committee leadership in Umuahia, Ihediwa accused the APC of maladministration and political exclusion of the South-East.
He predicted a woeful outing for the ruling party in the region in the 2027 elections.
“APC has failed Nigeria and we have suffered enough, especially in the South-East. A government that jailed your son and kept him faraway from you should not expect your support. APC has always marginalised the South-East,” he said.
Ihediwa also disclosed that the PDP would field candidates for all elective positions in the 2027 general elections, insisting that the party has no factions.
According to him, the PDP is being targeted because it remains the only formidable opposition capable of unseating the ruling party.
He accused the APC of allegedly using political moles to instigate leadership crises within the party but maintained that the emergence of the Kabiru Tanimu Turaki-led National Working Committee (NWC) at the November 2025 Ibadan Convention had conclusively resolved the PDP’s leadership dispute.
“The PDP is fully prepared for the 2027 general elections and will offer Nigerians a credible alternative,” he said.
“Nigerians should know that the APC is not an option in 2027. The reason they are fighting the PDP is because they know we are the ones capable of salvaging Nigeria from their grip.”
The PDP chieftain further accused the APC-led Federal Government of economic mismanagement, claiming its policies had worsened the country’s economic situation.
He also decried the activities of some party members allegedly working with external forces to undermine the PDP.
“Some moles wanted to sell the PDP because of money and parcels of land in Abuja,” he alleged.
However, he commended the PDP Governors’ Forum, the Board of Trustees (BoT), and other party elders for resisting attempts by certain elements to hijack the party.
Ihediwa expressed confidence that the consolidated cases at the Court of Appeal would be resolved in favour of the Turaki-led NWC.
Referencing Friday’s court ruling that cleared the party’s candidate for the Ekiti governorship race, he expressed optimism that the judiciary would uphold the party’s position.
“We have faith in the judiciary and expect a favourable judgment because the court cannot tell you who your father is. We know our father. Our convention was held in Ibadan and our leadership emerged from there,” he said.
He urged PDP members to remain resolute and participate actively in the ongoing online membership registration, declaring that the party’s difficult days were over.
“PDP is back on its winning track. We cannot be stopped,” he declared.
Wabara flags off e-registration
Meanwhile, former Senate President and Chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees, Senator Adolphus Wabara, formally flagged off the party’s online membership registration in Abia.
Wabara urged party members across the state to register en masse, saying the PDP had been repositioned for electoral victories.
Overwhelmed by the turnout of party faithful at the event, he declared that “the PDP can never die.”
The former Senate President commended the Abia PDP Caretaker Committee Chairman, Hon. Ikpegbu Emeka-Yellow, for demonstrating leadership capacity within less than a month in office.
However, he advised the new leadership of the party in Abia to avoid godfatherism and ensure equal opportunities for all members.
According to him, more people would be attracted to the party when transparency and due process replace impunity and imposition that weakened the PDP in the past.
Wabara also urged former members who left the party during its turbulent period to return, expressing confidence that the PDP would reclaim several states in the 2027 elections.
‘Rebuild PDP from the grassroots’ — Emeka-Yellow
Earlier, while inaugurating the Local Government Caretaker Committees, the Abia PDP Caretaker Committee Chairman, Hon. Emeka-Yellow, described their appointment as “a call to service, sacrifice and responsible leadership.”
“The task before you is clear: rebuild our structures at the grassroots, mobilise our members, reconnect with our supporters and restore the confidence of the people in our great party,” he said.
Emeka-Yellow admitted that the PDP in Abia had faced serious internal challenges that weakened its structures and dampened members’ morale but said the party had now turned a new page.
He announced that the party would soon embark on an aggressive membership drive, insisting that Abia remains a PDP stronghold.
He also appealed to former members who left the party to return and embrace reconciliation in the interest of the party.
“This is the time to heal old wounds, rebuild trust and reunite our party,” he said.
However, he warned that the PDP would no longer tolerate members working as political moles or double agents.
“The era of sabotage must end. The PDP remains a home for loyal and committed democrats ready to work for the growth and success of the party,” he said.
He pledged loyalty to the Turaki-led NWC and commended PDP governors and party elders for defending the party’s integrity.
Other speakers at the meeting, including former Umuahia North lawmaker Hon. Emeka Ejiogu, former Commissioner for Housing Barr. James Opara, and Hon. Tamuna Iyala, who represented the three senatorial zones, expressed confidence that the PDP had regained its footing in Abia.
They commended the state caretaker committee for its leadership and pledged unwavering support to rebuild the party ahead of future elections.
Opara, a lawyer, insisted that the outcome of the Ibadan Convention remained legally binding, noting that the notice convening the convention was duly signed by the party’s then National Chairman and National Secretary in line with constitutional provisions.
He therefore maintained that the Kabiru Tanimu Turaki-led National Working Committee (NWC) remains the authentic leadership of the PDP.
The legal practitioner also accused the ruling APC of attempting to weaken the opposition through political infiltration.
He took a swipe at the City Boy Movement, a support group of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, dismissing it as “a movement of jobless people.”
Opara further criticised the new Electoral Act, particularly its failure to mandate real-time electronic transmission of election results, saying the omission had heightened public suspicion about the ruling party’s commitment to free and credible elections.
