The Action Peoples Party (APP) in Imo State has been plunged into further catastrophe following the defection of former House of Representatives member, Rt. Hon. Ugonna Ozuruigbo (OZB), to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Ozuruigbo, who represented Nkwerre/Isu/Njaba/Nwangele Federal Constituency, formally announced his exit today in Owerri. His departure has triggered a chain reaction within APP’s ranks, exposing deep fractures and quickening the disintegration of the party’s already fragile structure in the state.
Upon Ozuruigbo’s announcement, more than half of APP’s State Working Committee members in Imo reportedly resigned, citing loss of confidence in the party’s credibility, direction and viability.
Faced with the embarrassment of a mass exodus, the party’s purported national chairman, Uche Nnadi, swiftly dissolved the Imo SWC in what was clearly an emergency containment move. However, dissolving a structure that had effectively emptied itself is a cosmetic step that does little to address the deeper legitimacy crisis confronting the party.
The turmoil comes against the backdrop of a pending suit at the Federal High Court challenging the party’s registration status. The case, instituted by Mazi Franklin Ngoforo, has intensified scrutiny of the party’s legal standing with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), especially given INEC’s blatant refusal to enter any defense whatsoever in court in favour of the party. The unanswered questions surrounding the party’s deregistration have cast a long shadow over its operations, with INEC’s decision not to shield what has been described as “an illegality of the past” fueling speculation about the party’s future on the electoral register. The matter is expected to resume in April, and its outcome could prove decisive.
Ozuruigbo’s exit is widely seen as a devastating blow because he was frequently projected by APP as one of its most credible and marketable figures in the Orlu senatorial zone. Party officials had often cited his legislative record and political standing as evidence of APP’s strength and seriousness in the largest zone in the state. With his defection, that narrative has been weakened, and the subsequent wave of resignations suggests that many within the party may have shared similar fears about the number of days left for the party in INEC register.
As of press time, architects of the APP scheme, namely Ugochinyere Ikenga and Chima Amadi, had yet to issue public responses to the unfolding crisis. Meanwhile, pundits insist Ozuruigbo’s move does not merely represent a personal political decision but a symbolic turning point that underscores the mounting challenges facing APP as legal and organizational pressures converge.
