APC Primaries: How winners turned losers overnight

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has dramatically reshaped the outcome of its recently concluded National Assembly primaries, replacing 26 candidates who were initially declared winners after reviewing more than 700 petitions filed by aggrieved aspirants.

The revised list, covering seven senatorial districts and 19 House of Representatives constituencies across Kogi, Abia, Benue, Taraba, Ondo, Niger, Kwara, Kaduna and Ebonyi states, has already been forwarded to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the party’s final list of candidates for the 2027 general elections.

The move came just days after the APC publicly dismissed reports circulating online about the outcome of the primaries, insisting that no official list had been released and warning members to rely only on the party’s official communication channels.

Investigations, however, revealed that while the party was urging caution publicly, it had already begun transmitting the names of its approved candidates to INEC following the conclusion of its internal appeals process.

Among the most notable changes are the replacement of former Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswam, who lost the Benue North East senatorial ticket to Senator Emmanuel Udende, and former Customs Assistant Comptroller-General Benjamin Aber, who was replaced by Senator Titus Zam in Benue North West. In Kogi West, Senator Sunday Karimi reclaimed the ticket from Aro Samuel Bamidele.

Several other senatorial candidates in Abia South, Taraba North, Ondo Central and Ondo North also lost their tickets after the National Working Committee (NWC) adopted the recommendations of the Primary Election Appeals Committee.

The House of Representatives list witnessed even wider changes, particularly in Benue, Ondo, Niger, Kwara, Taraba, Kaduna, Abia and Ebonyi, where several aspirants who had celebrated victory during the primaries were replaced with new flag-bearers.

According to APC National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka, the party received over 700 petitions challenging the conduct and outcomes of the primaries. He said every petition was carefully reviewed, leading to corrections where necessary, while unsuccessful appeals left the original winners intact.

Morka explained that the appeals process had now been concluded and that the party’s immediate priority was ensuring all approved candidates completed and submitted their INEC nomination forms before the electoral deadline, rather than publicly releasing the final list.

The development has nevertheless generated fresh discontent within the party.

In Ondo State, aggrieved APC members staged protests against the revised list, insisting it did not reflect the outcome of the direct primaries conducted across the state’s wards. Protesters accused the party leadership of overturning the will of members through what they described as “Abuja results.”

Reports also indicate that Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa is considering alternative political options for some of his loyalists who lost their tickets after the review, although the governor has declined to comment publicly.

Meanwhile, the APC national leadership is reportedly considering disciplinary action against some members of the Ondo State executive committee over their alleged involvement in the protests, describing the demonstrations as acts capable of undermining party discipline and cohesion.

Despite the controversy, the APC insists its internal nomination process has now been concluded following the appeals, with all approved candidates already receiving nomination forms for submission to INEC.

While the party says it has activated its internal conflict resolution mechanism to address lingering grievances, affected aspirants who remain dissatisfied are expected to explore legal options as the race toward the 2027 general elections gathers momentum.

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