By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

Allegations of result sheet snatching, disruption of the electoral process and violent invasion of party secretariats by suspected political thugs are trailing the All Progressives Congress (APC) House of Representatives primaries in Anambra State.

To this end, one of the aspirants vying for the ticket to represent Anambra East/West Federal Constituency seat, Patrick Obalim Udoba, popularly known as “Ezego-Anami,” who spoke to journalists in Awka on Sunday called for the cancellation of the primaries in 11 wards of Anambra East Local Government Area citing alleged irregularities and violent interference by hoodlums.

He urged the leadership of the APC to suspend the announcement of results from the affected areas pending proper ratification in line with the party’s constitution and electoral guidelines.

Udoba also appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party to intervene in the matter to avert what he described as a miscarriage of democratic process.

While noting that the alleged incident took place during the conduct of the primaries in Anambra East Local Government Area, which is the party chairman, Emma Anosike's local government, he said: "I am very sad with the way and manner the primaries were conducted in Anambra East Local Government Area.

"Out of the 15 wards in the council area, result sheets from 11 wards were snatched by suspected hoodlums, leaving only four wards intact.

“I want the election committee to cancel the exercise in the affected wards or alternatively count the four wards transparently to prove my point.

"Armed thugs invaded the APC secretariat in Otuocha, venue for the distribution and collation of election materials, shooting sporadically into the air before carting away sensitive materials, including result sheets.”

Udoba, who is currently the member representing Anambra West State Constituency in the Anambra State House of Assembly, said that he contested the primary alongside Mr Hilary Uduh and Lady Ifeoma Chukwuma.

The development has sparked intense reactions among party faithful and political stakeholders across the state, with some aggrieved aspirants and their supporters demanding outright cancellation of the exercise.

Meanwhile, former governorship candidate of the Young Progressives Party (YPP), Paul Chukwuma, who is being fingered for the development, has denied any involvement in the controversy, describing the allegations against him as false and malicious.

He threatened legal action against individuals allegedly linking him to the disruption and snatching of election materials.

Chukwuma, who returned to APC after contesting the November 8, 2025 governorship election on the YPP platform, said he had been overseas for months following the burial of his sister, who died in Germany shortly after the governorship election.

His words: “So how on earth could anyone link or connect me to House of Representatives primary election? More so, I am not connected to any of the three candidates vying for the Reps seat.

“What I could not do for myself during my governorship election because electoral violence and misconduct are not in my character, how then could I do so for someone else?”

He insisted that he would immediately institute legal proceedings against those linking his name to the alleged electoral misconduct.

However, Lady Ifeoma Chukwuma and Hilary Uduh have declined comments, insisting that the official results were yet to be announced.

Meanwhile, reports have it that similar disagreements also erupted in the Idemili Federal Constituency primary election.

In the Idemili contest, Barrister Kingsley Ezekwelu was said to have won in most of the wards to emerge victorious, while another aspirant, Innocent Igboekwe, reportedly rejected the outcome and called for cancellation of the election alongside Chief Epiphany.

The aggrieved aspirants alleged that sensitive election materials, especially result sheets, were snatched at the APC state secretariat in Awka in full public glare at about 5:30 p.m. on Saturday.

When contacted, the APC state chairman, Senator Emmanuel Anosike, said it was too early to make definitive comments on the matter as collation was still ongoing.

He said: “More than half of the results are yet to be received, so it is premature to make reasonable comments."