By Okey Maduforo Awka .
Senatorial aspirant of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) for Anambra North District and former Political Adviser to Governor Charles Soludo, Dr Alex Obiogbolu has expressed dissatisfaction over the conduct of the last Saturday’s primary election of the party .
Obiogbolu who lost narrowly to Sen Stella Odua in the said primary election carpeted the relevant bodies charged with the responsibility of ensuring free fair and transparent electoral process contending that though the party is supreme, the activities of the Electoral officers need much to be desired.
Contained in a statement signed by Obiogbolu himself, it described internal democracy as the only instrument that can enthrone good and populist leadership but expresses regrate over what he called the erosion of true democracy.
“My decision to contest for the Anambra North Senatorial ticket after wide consultations, on the platform of our great party APGA, was inspired by this confidence that our internal democratic processes had evolved beyond the shortcomings of the past”
“It is therefore deeply disappointing that despite clear guidelines issued by party leadership to guarantee credible primaries, the longstanding concerns associated with manipulation of internal electoral processes, disregard for established procedures, and actions capable of undermining confidence in our democratic institutions appear to have resurfaced”
“The primaries conducted on Saturday, May 23, 2026 regrettably fell short of the renewed expectations created by our party’s publicly stated commitment to strengthening internal democracy. Certain actions and omissions by officials and participants appear inconsistent with the standards of transparency and fairness which our members rightly expect and which our guidelines seek to uphold”
“Notably, party leadership had directed that Electoral Officers accompany results with video evidence covering accreditation, voting, counting, and declaration processes, while aspirants were encouraged to independently document proceedings. Such measures were intended to reinforce credibility and public confidence in the process”
He lamented that the circumstances surrounding some of the published results have raised serious concerns regarding compliance with these directives, with patterns suggestive of irregularities warranting careful review through the established mechanisms of the party.
“Thus, my position is informed not merely by concern over an electoral outcome, but by a deeper commitment to preserving the integrity of our party’s democratic processes. Internal party democracy remains the seed from which democratic growth, political stability, accountability, and sustainable development emerge”
Obiogbolu posited that ” while we remain committed to the principle of party supremacy and have no intention of pursuing this matter beyond the official channels provided by the party for grievance resolution, we equally consider it necessary, in defence of democratic values and institutional integrity, to reject and repudiate the declared outcome of the Anambra North Senatorial Primaries as fundamentally flawed and inconsistent with the spirit and letter of the guidelines established for the exercise”
He expressed his gratitude to his constituents and supporters, saying that he remains deeply indebted to them for their unwavering support and belief in his vision, ideals, and commitment to service.
“Our voices cannot be bought and ultimately, we shall alongside many other committed democrats forge ahead to realize these ideals”
“Our hope remains that the party leadership will seize this moment not as an occasion for division, but as an opportunity to reinforce confidence in our institutions and reaffirm APGA’s commitment to fairness, transparency, and genuine internal democracy” he said.
