The 2027 political battle in Abia State has begun to gather momentum as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates for the Ukwa East/West Federal Constituency and the Abia South Senatorial District, Chief Samuel Okezie Nwogu and Prince Paul Ikonne, respectively, paid a strategic consultation visit to the Asa Liberation Movement (ALM) in Ukwa West Local Government Area.
The high-powered political engagement, held on Sunday, August 16, 2026, at Umuajuoha, Obuzor Asa, the country home of the President of ALM, Hon. Emeka Adiele, brought together leaders and members of the movement, APC stakeholders, and other political actors from across Ukwa.
The visit was aimed at opening direct discussions with the influential community-based political group and seeking its support for the APC candidates ahead of the 2027 general election.
Speaking during the meeting, the spokesperson of ALM, Comrade Charles Ehiemere, traced the history of the organisation and its involvement in political activities in Asa land, particularly since its establishment in 2022.
Ehiemere disclosed that Nwogu was the first political stakeholder to support the movement after its formation, describing the gesture as part of the group’s history and its relationship with political stakeholders in the area.
He said the association had remained active in mobilising and promoting what it considers the political interests of the Asa people.
In his remarks, Chief Nwogu formally presented his political mandate to the movement and appealed to its leadership and members to support his bid to represent the Ukwa East/West Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.
The APC candidate also sought the adoption of his mandate as a life member of the organisation, while urging the group and the wider Ukwa electorates to put past political disagreements behind them.
Nwogu, who highlighted his achievements at the Abia State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (ASOPADEC) and as Abia’s representative on the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), said his ambition was driven by a desire to provide effective representation for the constituency.
He urged the people to scrutinise his record rather than rely on what he described as misinformation surrounding his political activities. “I am here to tell the good people of Ukwa that I am the 2027 APC flag bearer for Ukwa Federal Constituency, and to seek your mandate. Please, let’s look beyond the speculated misinformation about me. All that had happened in time past was all politics and party supremacy. Keep aside the past and chart a way forward, supporting my candidacy for better leadership,” Nwogu said.
Also addressing the gathering, Prince Paul Ikonne thanked the ALM leadership for the reception and acknowledged the organisation’s grassroots activities and political influence in the area.
Ikonne appealed for the association’s support, stressing that collective action among political stakeholders would be critical to achieving what he described as a new political direction for Ukwa and Abia South.
He lamented what he described as the prolonged denial of the Ukwa West and Aba areas of opportunities to occupy key elective positions, drawing parallels between the political experiences of Ukwa West and the wider Abia South district.
“Ukwa will benefit from our leadership and this is the best time for change in both Ukwa Federal Constituency and Abia South Senatorial District by extension. Ukwa West and Aba zone have suffered the intentional withholding of HoR and Senatorial seats in both Ukwa East and Obingwa for twenty years uninterrupted. We share similarities to that effect,” Ikonne said.
Responding on behalf of ALM, its President, Hon. Emeka Adiele, expressed appreciation to Chief Nwogu and Prince Ikonne for visiting the association and engaging its members directly.
Adiele described the visit as significant, stressing that the movement had developed a formidable grassroots structure ahead of the 2027 elections. “I really appreciate this high-powered visit,” Adiele said.
The ALM president further claimed that the group’s organisational strength across polling units could play a decisive role in determining electoral outcomes in Ukwa West.
According to him, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe benefited from the association’s support during the 2023 senatorial election in Ukwa West, although he alleged that the Senator failed to fulfil promises made to the group after winning the election.
The claim was made as part of Adiele’s broader argument that ALM’s grassroots network could be a major factor in the 2027 elections.
The consultation ended with an interactive session between the APC candidates and members of the Asa Liberation Movement, providing an opportunity for both sides to exchange views on the political future of Ukwa and Abia South.
The engagement is expected to intensify political consultations across the constituency as parties and aspirants move to consolidate grassroots structures ahead of the 2027 elections. The highlights of the event were; the donation of ta cash gift and the presentation of a cow to the ALM.
