In a dramatic turn of political events, Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu has been declared the All Progressives Congress (APC) flagbearer for the 2025 Anambra State gubernatorial election, following a highly disorganized and contentious primary held in Awka on Saturday.
Ukachukwu clinched the party’s nomination with an overwhelming 1,455 votes, leaving his closest contender, Valentine Ozigbo—who recently defected from the Labour Party—trailing with just 67 votes. Other aspirants in the contest included Engineer Johnbosco Onunkwo and Hon. Edozie Madu.
What was expected to be a routine party primary quickly descended into chaos. Accreditation of delegates did not begin until well into the evening, despite the official commencement time being 9:00 a.m. Reports from the venue indicate that many delegates were accredited at private hotels rather than the designated venue, the Dora Akunyili Women Development Centre, causing confusion among party faithful who gathered at the main site.
The situation escalated further when violence broke out earlier in the day. Eyewitnesses allege that thugs believed to be loyal to one of the aspirants physically assaulted some delegates, leaving several injured—even as security operatives looked on. The unrest resulted in the abrupt withdrawal of three aspirants: Sir Paul Chukwuma, Professor Obiora Okonkwo, and Chief Chukwuma Umeoji.
Chukwuma, who also announced his resignation from the APC entirely, pointed to the dominance of “unprogressive elements” as his reason for stepping down. Professor Okonkwo, in his official statement, emphasized the safety of his supporters as a key consideration in his decision, stating:
“This decision to withdraw from the race was a difficult but necessary one because of some developments that are inconsistent with my principles and values. The project is not worth risking the lives of my supporters.”
Despite the controversy, Prince Ukachukwu remained confident and unapologetic in his post-victory remarks. He expressed determination to lead the APC to a historic win in the upcoming election, stating:
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“Nobody has won the governorship of Anambra without my support; it has never happened before. I have been playing godfatherism, but now I want to be the father of the father—no more godfather.”
As the political spotlight shifts toward Anambra’s November 2025 gubernatorial race, all eyes are on Ukachukwu, who now bears the responsibility of galvanizing the APC’s efforts against incumbent Governor Chukwuma Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). Soludo secured his party’s ticket unopposed, setting the stage for one of Nigeria’s most closely watched off-cycle elections.
