The House of Representatives primary elections of the All Progressive Congress, APC, in Abia State has been rocked by logistics challenges and reports of intense lobbying.

The exercise, scheduled to commence on Saturday morning, is yet to start in any part of the state as at 3:00 pm.

A visit by DAILY POST to several wards where the primary elections were supposed to hold in Umuahia showed that no party official was on duty.

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At Amuzukwu Secondary School, Umuwaya Amuzukwu, Methodist Primary School at Crowther Street, Umuahia North Local Government Headquarters, no official of the APC or the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, staff was seen.

Two female police officers who were deployed to provide security in Umuwaya Amuzukwu were left in confusion as they could not meet any APC official at the centre.

Source disclosed that some of the aspirants in various constituencies in Abia State refused the offer to step down before the primares, insisting that they be allowed to test their popularity in the exercise.

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Meanwhile, two leaders of the City Boys Movement in Abia State, Chinedu Orji and Lucky Igbokwe, who are aspiring for the Ikwuano/Umuahia Federal Constituency, have issued statements maintaining that they are firmly in the race.

Explaining the delay in the commencement of the APC primary election, Publicity Secretary of Abia State APC, Uche Aguoru, attributed the situation to logistics challenges.

Aguoru invited all House of Representatives aspirants and other party stakeholders to an “emergency mandatory meeting” to be held at APC new office by Saturday evening.

Some members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Ibadan North West and Ibadan South West LGAs on Saturday staged a protest at the party secretariat in Ibadan over alleged exclusion from the ongoing House of Representatives primary election.

The aggrieved party members accused organisers of denying them participation in the process, claiming that in Wards 1 to 12 of Ibadan South West, about 10 persons per ward were allegedly selected and taken to another location to sign documents.

They further alleged that in Ibadan North West, a similar arrangement occurred where another group of 10 individuals was reportedly picked and made to append signatures without a transparent electoral procedure.

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The protesters described the situation as unfair, insisting that it amounted to an attempt to impose preferred candidates on the constituencies rather than allowing a credible and inclusive primary election.

In response to the development, the Chairman of the APC Primary Election Committee in Oyo State, Mojeed Alabi, said disputes and complaints are common in electoral processes.

He advised dissatisfied members to formally present their grievances to the party’s primary election appeal committee after the conclusion of the exercise, where such issues would be duly reviewed and addressed.

The United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), has released footage showing the military operation in northeastern Nigeria that led to the killing of Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, identified as the global second-in-command of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

AFRICOM disclosed in a statement on Saturday that the operation was carried out under the directive of the President of the United States Donald Trump in collaboration with the Nigerian government..

Commenting on the development, Commander of AFRICOM, U.S. Air Force Gen. Dagvin Anderson, said the mission highlighted the level of cooperation between both countries.

“As President Trump shared last night, AFRICOM, in coordination with the Armed Forces of Nigeria, bravely and valiantly conducted a successful mission that resulted in the elimination of Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, and multiple other ISIS leaders,” he said.

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He added that the operation demonstrated the strength of the partnership between both countries, noting that it was made possible through months of coordination.

“This operation underscores the exceptional value of the U.S.-Nigeria partnership and was made possible through the cooperation and coordination of our forces in recent months.

“Make no mistake, our two nations will relentlessly pursue and neutralise terrorist threats and are committed to protecting our people and interests,” Anderson said.

Tribune Online reports that Trump announced early Saturday that U.S. forces, alongside the Nigerian Armed Forces, carried out the operation that killed Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, whom he described as the global second-in-command of ISIS.

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Posting on his Truth Social account, Trump said the mission was strategically planned and executed with intelligence support that monitored the activities of the terrorist leader in Africa.

The U.S. president said the operation was aimed at eliminating one of the world’s most wanted terrorist figures, accusing him of coordinating attacks and supporting operations targeting Americans and African communities.

Trump further stated that the death of al-Minuki would weaken ISIS operations globally and reduce the terrorist group’s influence across Africa.

He also praised the Nigerian government and the Armed Forces of Nigeria for their support and collaboration during the operation.

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