Umuahia, June 16, 2026 – A prominent member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia State, Mezie Esiaga, has raised concerns over the outcome of the party’s governorship primary election, warning that the development could weaken the party’s chances in the 2027 polls.
Esiaga made the remarks during an interaction with journalists in Umuahia on Monday, where he strongly criticised the process that produced businessman Eric Opah as the party’s governorship candidate.
Describing the exercise as flawed, he argued that the party risks poor electoral performance if it fails to address what he called unfair treatment of loyal members who have worked for years to build the APC in the state.
According to him, the contest was initially expected to be between Chief Henry Ikoh and Chief Mascot Kalu before Opah emerged as a contender shortly before the primary election.
Esiaga said he first encountered Opah during a meeting held in Umuahia on May 14, just hours before delegates voted to choose the party’s standard-bearer.
“As someone who has been with the party from its early days, I was surprised to see an individual who, as far as I know, had only recently joined the APC emerge as its governorship candidate,” he stated.
He further questioned Opah’s suitability for the ticket, citing reports that the businessman had publicly praised the administration of Governor Alex Otti.
Esiaga said it was difficult to reconcile such comments with the decision to field Opah as the party’s challenger against the incumbent governor.
He called on the national leadership of the APC to reconsider the outcome of the primary and instead award the ticket to Ikoh, noting that Chief Mascot Kalu had withdrawn from the race before the exercise.
According to him, Ikoh’s long-standing commitment to the party, his investment in strengthening its structure across Abia and his experience in public service make him the most qualified candidate for the position.
He described the former minister and industrialist as a politician with widespread grassroots support and the capacity to mount a strong challenge in the 2027 governorship election.
“If the party genuinely intends to be competitive in the next election cycle, it should revisit the primary outcome and give serious consideration to Ikoh,” he said.
Esiaga warned that retaining the current result could lead to an even poorer performance than the party recorded in the 2023 governorship election.
Drawing comparisons with previous elections, he maintained that the APC must avoid repeating mistakes that could undermine its prospects at the polls.
He disclosed that he was preparing to formally communicate his concerns to President Bola Tinubu, insisting that the matter requires urgent intervention from the party’s leadership.
The APC stalwart concluded by cautioning that failure to address grievances arising from the primary could deepen internal divisions and diminish the party’s chances of mounting a successful challenge in Abia State ahead of the 2027 governorship election.