Hon. Ifeanyi Ibezi,
A prominent chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former member of the House of Representatives, Ifeanyi Ibezi, has defected from the party and endorsed the re-election of Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo.
Ibezi, who previously represented Idemili North and South Federal Constituency in the 9th National Assembly, made the announcement during a meeting with his political associates at his country home in Abatete, Idemili North Local Government Area, on Sunday.
Ibezi pointed to the APC’s governorship primary election, which resulted in Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu emerging as the party’s candidate, as one of the main reasons for his departure.
He described the primary process as a “charade” and stated that the APC had failed to select a credible and electable candidate.
He explained that his decision to back Governor Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) was based on his belief in the governor’s work and his desire to see Anambra continue to progress.
“I have switched my support to Governor Soludo. Just like I delivered Idemili North and South to President Bola Tinubu in 2023, and to Soludo in the last election, I will once again mobilise votes in November to ensure Soludo’s victory,” Ibezi declared.
“Soludo must return for a second term. I have toured his projects and I am convinced he is working. If your party is not ready to win, what do you do? You move on. I can’t be part of a party that is unserious about governance and victory.”
Ibezi further addressed his followers, emphasizing that any of his loyalists who did not understand his shift in political allegiance “lacks the basic understanding of politics.”
He added, “Our support for Soludo is total and immediate. The APC is not prepared, and we won’t waste our time.”
This move comes amid growing dissatisfaction within the APC, following the withdrawal of three leading governorship aspirants—Prof. Obiora Okonkwo, Sir Paul Chukwuma, and Chukwuma Umeoji—just hours before Saturday’s primary.
The three aspirants cited irregularities and claims of violent conduct by some of the supporters of one of the candidates as their reasons for withdrawing from the race.
Okonkwo stated in a statement that he could not, in good conscience, risk the lives of his supporters “in pursuit of a manipulated primary,” while Chukwuma referred to the process as being hijacked by “retrogressive forces.”
