Allegations of voter suppression have surfaced in Abia State following claims that members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) collected voters’ cards and National Identity Numbers (NINs) from residents during a party registration exercise — an accusation the party has firmly denied.
A member of the PDP Board of Trustees and former Secretary to the Abia State Government, Eme Okoro, alleged that the incident occurred in Ozuitem community, Bende Local Government Area, warning that such actions threaten democratic participation.
However, the APC in the state has quickly dismissed the claims, insisting that membership registration was voluntary and free of coercion.
Speaking in Ozuitem during an event where Dr. Emenike Onyebuchi Okoro declared his intention to contest the Bende Federal Constituency seat, the PDP chieftain said, “When I came, I heard from a number of women and men that their voters’ cards and NIN were taken away from them when they were being asked to register in APC. It means you can’t register in another party.”
He described the alleged development as unacceptable, adding: “It is not good. It is undemocratic. I will make sure that people in Ozuitem get their voters’ cards back.”
At the same event, the aspirant, Dr. Emenike Onyebuchi Okoro, expressed confidence in his political ambition, stating he was relying on divine support and the backing of constituents to succeed in his bid to represent the Bende Federal Constituency, currently occupied by Benjamin Kalu.
Responding to the allegations, the APC, through its state Publicity Secretary, Uche Aguoru, rejected the claims outright, maintaining that no such demands were made during the registration process.
“People who love what the President is doing in the country decided to join us willingly on their own,” he said.
He further insisted: “Nobody coerced anybody; we did not ask anybody to bring anything.”
The exchange has added to rising political tension in Abia ahead of future elections, with both parties holding firm to opposing narratives over the integrity of grassroots mobilisation efforts.
