The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ebonyi State has announced January 25, 2026, as the date for its primary elections to choose candidates for the forthcoming local government chairmanship and councillorship elections.
The party’s State Chairman, Stanley Okoro Emegha, made the disclosure on Monday while speaking to journalists in Abakaliki shortly after a State Executive Council meeting.
Emegha said preparations for the primaries would commence earlier in January, stressing the party’s commitment to conducting a smooth and transparent process.
“The primary election for both councillorship and chairmanship will hold on January 25, but the processes will commence earlier in January,” he said.
He also issued a stern warning to political appointees serving under Governor Francis Nwifuru who intend to contest in the primaries, insisting they must resign at least 30 days before the exercise.
“If you are a public servant under the governor’s appointment, you must resign 30 days to the primary election. Anybody that did not resign by December 20, 2025, is not qualified to contest,” Emegha cautioned.
The APC chairman further revealed that the party would soon begin a membership revalidation exercise once it receives its official registration code, assuring that transparency would guide all internal party activities.
Speaking on party development, Emegha announced that construction had commenced on a new APC state secretariat in Ebonyi. According to him, the project is expected to be completed within six months.
He described the new complex as larger than the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, noting that it symbolises the APC’s growing strength and ambition in the state.
“The complex and the spaces are far larger than that of the national secretariat. This goes to show that we want to continue to maintain our number one position as a party in Ebonyi State,” he said.
Emegha also boasted that the APC now enjoys total political dominance in Ebonyi, claiming the party controls all elective and appointive positions across the state.
According to him, all 171 ward councillors, 13 local government chairmen, 24 members of the State House of Assembly, six members of the National Assembly, and the three senators from Ebonyi are APC members, making the state the strongest APC base in the South-East.
In addition, the party chairman announced the defection of the last opposition federal lawmaker in the state, Hon. Iduma Igariwey, from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC.
Igariwey, who represents Afikpo and Edda Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, has reportedly completed his registration in his home ward.
“If I bring the register here, I will show you that this is Itim 001 ward, the ward of Chief Iduma Igariwey. His name is fully written in the register,” Emegha said.
With this development, the APC chairman declared that the party is now unrivalled in Ebonyi State and fully prepared for the upcoming local government elections.