The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Abia South Senatorial District, Erondu Uchenna Erondu Jr., has rejected the alleged substitution of his name as the party’s candidate for the 2027 general election, describing the purported action as unlawful and unconstitutional.

In a press statement personally signed on Saturday, Erondu said he is not dead and remains the duly nominated APC candidate for Abia South.

Erondu, who is currently a member of the Abia State House of Assembly representing Obingwa West Constituency, said the primary election conducted on May 16, 2026, across the 65 electoral wards in the six local government areas of Abia South Senatorial District returned him as the winner.

Erondu Jr. said his mandate was declared by the APC National Working Committee in the presence of officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Department of State Services (DSS). He added that he was issued a Certified True Copy (CTC) of the APC Abia South primary election results on June 30, 2026.

He expressed concern over reports that his name had been replaced with Paul Ikonne in violation of the Electoral Act, 2026.

Citing Section 33 of the Electoral Act, 2026, he explained that a political party can only substitute a candidate where the candidate dies, voluntarily withdraws through a personally signed written notice addressed to the party, or where a court of competent jurisdiction issues an order affecting the nomination.

“I am alive. I have not withdrawn my candidature. I have never signed or submitted any notice withdrawing my candidature to the All Progressives Congress,” Erondu Jr. declared.

Erondu therefore called on the APC National Working Committee and INEC to remain guided by the provisions of the Electoral Act.

The Abia State chapter of the APC had, on July 1, 2026, declared Erondu Uchenna Erondu as the party’s candidate to challenge the Labour Party’s senatorial candidate, Enyinnaya Abaribe.

Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, on Saturday hinted that the renewed feud between former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, may continue until one of them dies.

Sani said Atiku has been receiving what he termed Obasanjo’s “hypersonic missiles” after the former vice president threw a “devastating bomb.”

Posting on X, the former lawmaker wrote: “The Obj/Atiku feud began when Gen Zs were in nursery and primary school.

“It’s continuing even when that generation has graduated from universities, married and had children.

“It’s likely going to continue until one of them is gone, and the other will pay a glowing tribute. Since Atiku threw a devastating bomb at Obj, he has been receiving Obj’s hypersonic missiles for two decades.”

Obasanjo recently renewed his feud with his former vice president when he said picking Atiku as his running mate in 1999 was his biggest mistake.

Following the comment, Atiku has repeatedly criticised his former principal while reopening old political disagreements.

The Caretaker Committee Chairman of the Osun State Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Odesola Oluseye Titus, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to disregard claims by Dr Tosin Odeyemi to represent the council.

Addressing journalists on Saturday, Titus alleged that recent findings had raised questions over Odeyemi’s claim to membership of IPAC, insisting that he lacked the legal authority to speak or act on behalf of the council.

According to Odesola, “Odeyemi is not affiliated with any recognised political party,” adding that his resignation from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) ended his eligibility to participate in IPAC affairs.

He claimed that there was no record of the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA), with which Odeyemi identified himself, on INEC’s portal.

“It has been confirmed that Odeyemi does not hold any legal authority to represent or be part of IPAC, nor is he affiliated with any recognised political party.

“The claim about bias by the IPAC National Secretariat is not true. He contested under the umbrella of the NNPP against the last chairman, Pastor Victor Akande of the Accord, and neither of them was chosen. His claim is wrong. His interest is to lead at all costs,” he said.

He commended the IPAC National Secretariat for constituting a caretaker committee for the Osun chapter, saying the decision ensured there was no leadership vacuum ahead of the forthcoming governorship election.

Odesola called on other political parties to join him in moving Osun IPAC forward and assured them and other stakeholders that the activities of IPAC in Osun State would continue without disruption as preparations for the August 15 governorship election progressed.

The caretaker committee chairman urged INEC to reject any representation made by Odeyemi, saying, “Misrepresentation cannot be tolerated. IPAC remains committed to transparency and accountability, and we urge strict adherence to established legal procedures to protect the integrity of the electoral process.”

He also appealed to political parties, media organisations and members of the public to remain vigilant, maintaining that only duly recognised representatives should speak on behalf of the Inter-Party Advisory Council in Osun State.

Earlier on Saturday, a separate faction of political party leaders had accused the national leadership of IPAC of bias and incompetence, demanding the immediate resignation of its National Executive Committee.

At a press conference in Osogbo, the faction urged INEC to suspend official dealings with the Osun chapter of IPAC until a substantive state executive is elected before the governorship poll.

Speaking on behalf of the group, Dr Tosin Odeyemi, who identified himself as the Acting Chairman of the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA) in Osun State, rejected the caretaker committee recently constituted by the IPAC national leadership, describing its emergence as unlawful.

Odeyemi alleged that the caretaker committee was imposed on political parties without consultation after the tenure of the immediate past Osun IPAC Chairman, Pastor Victor Akande, expired in February 2026.

He claimed that political parties had expected a fresh election following the postponement of the March 14 leadership poll but said no new date had been communicated by the national secretariat.