APGA Gives Senator Abaribe 24 Hours to Clarify Alleged Alliance with ADC

The Abia State chapter of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has issued a 24-hour ultimatum to Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South) to address claims of fraternising with the African Democratic Congress (ADC) or face disciplinary action.

In a communiqué released after its caucus meeting in Umuahia on Tuesday night, APGA accused the former Senate Minority Leader of sidelining the party since using its platform to secure his current term in the Senate.

Party Publicity Secretary, Chukwuemeka Nwokoro, alleged that Abaribe convened meetings at his event centre in Aba on August 18 and September 23, where he openly promoted ADC activities rather than APGA. He challenged the senator to personally confirm or deny speculation of his defection.

The statement read:

“The leadership of APGA in Abia State is not oblivious of the rumours making the rounds that Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe… has joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC). This rumour followed the town hall meeting he called… wherein he openly tilted towards promoting ADC at the detriment of APGA on whose mandate he is occupying the Senate position.”

It further claimed that the ADC’s Abia State secretary publicly identified Abaribe as both a card-carrying member and leader of the party in the state, a statement the senator has not denied.

APGA stressed that Nigerian law forbids dual party membership, insisting Abaribe cannot remain in APGA while associating with ADC. It warned that his actions amount to “gross violation of the APGA constitution” and ridiculed the party’s image.

The statement concluded:

“Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe is hereby given 24 hours… to publicly refute or deny all the speculations making the rounds on his membership of the ADC. Failure to comply will attract prompt disciplinary action in line with the APGA constitution.”

Abaribe’s Camp Reacts

In response, Abaribe’s media aide, Uchenna Awom, dismissed APGA’s ultimatum as unfair and based on “unverified rumours.”

He 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.”

When pressed on whether Abaribe had defected to ADC, Awom added:

“As an experienced politician, he knows how to go about it. Has he communicated to them that he has left APGA? They don’t just sit down and do arm-twisting to get out words from his mouth.”

Background

Senator Abaribe, who first entered the Senate in 2007 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), secured re-election in 2011, 2015, and 2019. In 2023, he defected to APGA and won a fourth term.

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