No fewer than 70 serving members of the National Assembly on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) may not return to the legislature in 2027 following the party’s ongoing Senate and House of Representatives primaries.
The APC currently controls 242 seats in the House of Representatives and 88 in the Senate, with most lawmakers seeking re-election. However, several incumbents either lost their tickets, stepped down, were disqualified, or face uncertainty over the validity of the primaries.
Among those affected is Rep. Donatus Matthew, popularly known as the “Okada Rider,” who was elected to represent Kaura Constituency in Kaduna State under the Labour Party before defecting to the APC. He was disqualified during the APC screening process.
Other former Labour Party lawmakers who defected to the APC but failed to secure tickets include Esosa Iyawe (Edo), Senator Neda Imasuen (Edo South), Tochukwu Okere (Imo), Bassey Akiba (Cross River), and Daulyop Fom (Plateau).
Serving APC senators unlikely to return include Gbenga Daniel (Ogun East), Diket Plang (Plateau Central), Osita Izunaso (Imo West), Emmanuel Udende (Benue North-East), Titus Zam (Benue West), Olubiyi Fadeyi (Osun Central), Saliu Mustapha (Kwara), and Ned Nwoko (Delta North).
The primaries have also triggered protests and allegations of violence, manipulation, and imposition of candidates across several states.
Adegbonmire Escapes Attack in Ondo
Senator Adeniyi Adegbonmire narrowly escaped harm after armed thugs disrupted the APC senatorial primary at Okilisa Ward 5 in Akure, Ondo State.
Witnesses said gunmen stormed the venue and fired shots after voting appeared to favour Adegbonmire. Panic spread among party members, delegates, journalists, and residents, while some women reportedly sustained injuries.
Security operatives later evacuated the senator from the area, temporarily halting the exercise.
Adegbonmire described the primary as a “complete charade,” alleging intimidation and violence against his supporters.
“My supporters were about 400 and there were three lines. They started counting my line first because it was the longest. But when it became clear we were leading, thugs invaded the place and started shooting,” he said.
Another aspirant, Olumuyiwa Adu, also rejected the process, alleging widespread intimidation and candidate imposition.
Delta Primaries Under Review
In Delta State, uncertainty surrounded the outcome of the Senate primaries after the APC National Secretariat faulted some state committees for announcing results without approval from Abuja.
APC National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, said only the party’s national headquarters has the authority to declare final winners after reviewing complaints arising from the exercise.
The controversy has cast doubt on the victories earlier recorded by Senators Ifeanyi Okowa, Ede Dafinone, and Joel Onowakpo-Thomas.
Meanwhile, the APC National Assembly Primaries Appeal Committee in Delta confirmed receipt of five petitions challenging the conduct of the exercise.
Cross River Aspirants Reject Results
In Cross River State, Senator Eteng Jones Williams and fellow aspirant Mary Ekpere rejected results circulating online for the Cross River Central Senatorial District, insisting that no primary election took place in any of the 66 wards.
Williams said his team monitored the process across the district and confirmed that voting never occurred, while Ekpere alleged that aspirants were denied access to electoral materials.
AbdulRazaq Wins in Kwara
Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq emerged unopposed in the APC primary for the Kwara Central Senatorial District.
The state chapter of the APC said the official declaration would be ratified by the party’s national secretariat alongside House of Representatives results.
Benue Senators Lose Tickets
Two serving APC senators from Benue State — Titus Zam and Emmanuel Udende — lost their return tickets during the primaries.
In Benue North-West, retired customs officer Benjamin Aber defeated Zam by a wide margin, while former Governor Gabriel Suswam defeated Udende in Benue North-East.
Both lawmakers rejected the results, alleging manipulation and predetermined outcomes.
More Disputes Across States
In Kaduna, former Speaker Yusuf Zailani rejected the Kaduna Central senatorial primary, claiming no valid election was conducted across the zone.
Stakeholders from Kogi Central also protested at the APC national secretariat in Abuja over the participation of former Governor Yahaya Bello in the senatorial primary, alleging he was not cleared by the party’s screening committee.
In Zamfara, senatorial aspirant Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi warned that alleged imposition of candidates could trigger another legal crisis similar to the 2019 Supreme Court ruling that nullified APC primaries in the state.
Former Senator Ayo Arise also rejected the outcome of the Ekiti North primary, alleging manipulation and fabrication of results in favour of incumbent Senator Cyril Fasuyi.