Abia State Chapter of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the Senator representing Abia South Senatorial District, Enyinnaya Abaribe, to provide clarity on his alleged affiliation with the African Democratic Congress (ADC) or face sanctions.

The party, which issued this ultimatum after its meeting in Umuahia, the state capital, on Tuesday, asked Senator Abaribe to clear his stand, accusing him of using the party to secure a fifth term at the red chamber, then attempting to abandon it.

In a statement issued by Chukwuemeka Nwokoro, the party’s Publicity Secretary, the party revealed that Senator Abaribe allegedly held meetings on August 18 and September 23 at his event centre in Aba to promote ADC, instead of APGA.

In the statement, New Telegraph gathered that the Senator was challenged to validate or invalidate claims that he was defecting to ADC.

The statement read in part: “The leadership of APGA in Abia State is not oblivious of the rumours making the rounds that Senator Enyinnaya Abiriba, representing Abia South on the platform of APGA, has joined the African Democratic Party (ADC).

“This rumour followed the town hall meeting he called on 18/8/25 at the NOBIK event centre, Aba, where he addressed some members of his constituency about what he called ‘a coalition’ under the ADC.

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“It is also on record that the meeting of 18/8/25 metamorphosed into another meeting held at the same event centre on 22/8/25, anchored by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, wherein he openly and overtly tilted towards promoting ADC at the detriment of APGA, on whose mandate he is occupying the Senate position.

“In confirmation of the obvious body language of Senator Abaribe, which is anti APGA, the Abia State Secretary of the ADC, openly and boldly stated in a radio programme that Senator Abaribe is not only a card carrying member of ADC in Abia State but also doubled as the leader of ADC in Abia, a bold statement which Senator Abaribe has not denied till date.”

In response, Abaribe’s media aide, Uchenna Awom, stated that the party should stop dwelling on rumours and confront Senator Abaribe directly.

Awom asserted that issuing an ultimatum without a hearing from the Senator is an injustice.

He said,” Senator Abaribe is alive. As APGA leader in Abia, the party has all the channels to access him. He doesn’t have any issues with them. They should write to him and personally hear from him.”

When asked if Abaribe had truly defected to ADC, the aide said: “As an experienced politician, he knows how to go about it.”

He added, “Has he communicated to them that he has left APGA? They don’t just sit down and do arm-twisting to get words out from his mouth.”

APGA said that it had given the Senator an opportunity  to interact with the party leadership on some vital issues affecting the party, “but he intentionally bluffed the invitation for a meeting extended to him, thereby demeaning the party’s leadership.”