NEWS
APC Replaces Eric Opah With Chijioke Chukwu As Tinubu Campaign Coordinator In Abia Amid Party Tensions
By @TheKELVINATOR, The Eyes Opener News | May 01, 2026
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia State has reportedly replaced its governorship candidate, Chief Eric Opah, with the party’s state Chairman, Hon. Chijioke Chukwu, as the coordinator of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election Campaign Council in the state, a development that has raised questions about the party’s internal calculations, leadership decisions and campaign structure ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Opah was initially named as the coordinator in an earlier list released by the APC’s national leadership. However, a subsequent list reportedly assigned the responsibility to Chukwu, marking a significant change in the party’s presidential campaign arrangement in Abia and prompting speculation over what may have informed the decision.
The reported replacement has drawn attention because Opah is the party’s governorship candidate, making his initial appointment to coordinate Tinubu’s re-election campaign a notable political decision. The subsequent change has now placed the spotlight on the relationship between the party’s state leadership, its governorship candidate and the broader strategy for mobilising support for the President in Abia.
Sources within the APC, who spoke anonymously to our correspondent, attributed the change to concerns about Opah’s limited political experience, claiming that his entry into partisan politics is relatively recent and that he may not yet possess the political network and organisational experience required to coordinate a statewide presidential campaign.
According to the sources, Chukwu’s experience within the party and his position as state chairman were considered relevant factors in the decision to entrust him with the responsibility. They suggested that the party may have concluded that its chairman was better positioned to manage the coordination of its structures, stakeholders and grassroots mobilisation efforts across the state.
Another party leader reportedly argued that Opah should concentrate on his own governorship campaign rather than shoulder the additional responsibility of coordinating Tinubu’s re-election campaign. The position, according to the source, was that managing the two political assignments simultaneously could create competing demands on the candidate’s time and attention.
However, the reported development has not gone down well with every member of the Abia APC. An aggrieved party member questioned the rationale behind the initial appointment of Opah to head the presidential campaign structure, alleging that the governorship candidate lacked the political experience needed for such a demanding assignment.
The aggrieved member also expressed doubts about Opah’s ability to mobilise support at the grassroots, going as far as questioning whether he could deliver his own ward in the coming election. The allegation reflects the frustration reportedly simmering within some sections of the party, although no independently verified evidence was provided to substantiate the claim.
The controversy has consequently raised questions about the process through which the original campaign appointments were made, the considerations behind the subsequent adjustment and whether the change represents a routine organisational decision or a sign of deeper disagreements within the Abia APC.
For a party preparing for a major electoral contest, the coordination of its presidential campaign requires more than the announcement of names on a list. It involves building relationships among party executives, candidates, local government leaders, ward officials and grassroots supporters, while ensuring that campaign responsibilities are clearly defined.
Chukwu’s reported emergence as the coordinator places additional attention on his ability to bring the party’s structures together and organise its campaign activities across Abia. At the same time, Opah’s position as the APC’s governorship candidate means that the party will have to ensure that the change does not create unnecessary divisions or undermine cooperation between its leadership and its flag bearer.
As the political atmosphere gradually builds towards 2027, the reported replacement is likely to remain a subject of discussion among party stakeholders and observers seeking to understand the APC’s strategy in Abia State.
However, the APC’s national and state leadership have yet to publicly provide a detailed explanation for the reported change in the information available for this report. Until an official clarification is issued, the explanations attributed to party insiders and the allegations made by aggrieved members should be treated as claims rather than established facts.