The race for the Abia South Senatorial seat has taken shape as former governorship candidate, Prince Paul Ikonne, on Wednesday, picked the All Progressives Congress nomination forms for the 2027 election and declared that incumbent Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe should prepare to leave the Senate.
Ikonne made the declaration after obtaining his expression of interest and nomination forms, saying his ambition was driven by the need to provide what he described as effective and purposeful representation for Abia South from 2027.
He said Senator Abaribe, who has been in the Senate for nearly two decades, should begin to prepare for life outside the National Assembly, insisting that his long stay had not translated into meaningful development for the district.
The APC aspirant, a former Executive Secretary of the National Agricultural Land Development Authority under the Buhari administration, said his decision to join the race was informed by what he called years of poor representation at the federal level.
Ikonne said his aspiration was anchored on service delivery, infrastructure development, empowerment programmes and repositioning Abia South for greater national relevance.
He further argued that Abaribe had become disconnected from the grassroots, adding that constituents were yearning for a change in representation.
“If you are familiar with Senator Abaribe, you will realise that he is an attention seeker and a media creation. He has long lost touch with the grassroots, and our people are saying enough of his noise-making; it is time for him to return to the village.
“Currently, Abia South does not look like a district with its representation in the Senate. That is why I have stepped forward to offer real representation, align our people with the federal government, and attract the federal presence and development our district deserves,” he said.
He expressed confidence in the 11th Senate, describing it as a stabilising legislature that would support President Bola Tinubu’s reform agenda.
Ikonne also urged Nigerians to support the President’s policies, saying they were geared towards long-term national transformation.
The APC had on Tuesday commenced the sale of Expression of Interest and Nomination forms for aspirants ahead of the 2027 general elections, though the exercise began slightly behind its earlier scheduled date.
According to the Independent National Electoral Commission timetable, the Presidential and National Assembly elections will hold on January 16, 2027, while governorship and state assembly polls are fixed for February 6, 2027.
2027: APC aspirant picks Senate forms, targets Abaribe’s seat
