The Abia State chapter of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has given Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South) 24 hours to publicly clarify his alleged association with the African Democratic Congress (ADC), warning that failure to do so will attract disciplinary action.
In a statement issued after its caucus meeting in Umuahia, the party accused Abaribe of neglecting APGA since securing re-election to the Senate on its platform, alleging instead that he has been openly aligning with ADC.
The statement, signed by APGA’s Publicity Secretary, Chukwuemeka Nwokoro, claimed that Abaribe hosted meetings at his Aba event centre on August 18 and September 23, where ADC was promoted.
It also cited a radio interview in which the Abia ADC secretary reportedly described Abaribe not only as a member but also as the party’s state leader.
According to APGA, the senator’s refusal to honour invitations from party leaders contravenes the constitution of the party. “Extant laws forbid a person from belonging to two political parties at the same time. Senator Abaribe cannot belong to APGA and ADC simultaneously,” the statement read.
The party then issued a deadline: “He is hereby given 24 hours from the release of this press statement to refute or deny the speculation of his ADC membership, publicly, through both print and electronic media, failing which the party will take prompt disciplinary action.”
Responding, Abaribe’s media aide, Uchenna Awom, dismissed the ultimatum as speculative and unnecessary. “Senator Abaribe is alive. As APGA leader in Abia, the party has all the channels to reach him. They should write to him and hear from him directly instead of relying on rumours,” he said.
When asked if Abaribe had defected, Awom declined to give a direct answer but insisted the senator was an experienced politician who understood due process. “Has he communicated to them that he has left APGA? They shouldn’t engage in arm-twisting to extract words from him,” he added.
Abaribe, who first entered the Senate in 2007 under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), won three subsequent re-elections before moving to APGA in 2023. He is currently serving his fifth term.
