Abia APC Rejects Fake Petition to Move Bende Collation Centre

The Abia state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has publicly disowned an alleged petition sent to the national headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which requested the relocation of the Bende collation centre ahead of the 2027 elections. Uche Aguoru, the party's publicity secretary, stated in a release on September 19, 2026, that the petition falsely claimed there was a plan to burn down the Bende Local Government Council, which has hosted the INEC collation centre for decades.

The APC described the petition as fake and asserted that it did not originate from the party. The APC called on INEC to disregard the petition and emphasized the importance of the Bende collation centre, which has served the area for many years.

Additionally, the party urged the Directorate of State Security, the National Security Adviser, and police authorities to take necessary measures to protect the votes in Bende during the upcoming elections and to investigate the origins of the petition.