Fresh cracks have emerged within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) following controversies surrounding the outcome of the party’s senatorial primaries, with party insiders alleging that several governors disregarded an understanding reached with President Bola Tinubu on the return of serving senators.
Investigations by New Telegraph revealed that the development has triggered anxiety within the party hierarchy and placed the National Chairman, Prof Nentawe Yilwatda, under increasing pressure from aggrieved stakeholders seeking a review of the primary results. Such stakeholders include Sen Ned Nwoko, Delta South Senatorial District.
According to sources familiar with the discussions preceding the primaries, the President had reportedly advised governors and key party leaders to support the return of incumbent senators, particularly first-term lawmakers who had limited opportunities to attract constituency projects and fully establish their legislative footprints during the 10th Senate.
The arrangement, party sources said, was intended to ensure continuity, preserve legislative experience within the National Assembly and strengthen the party’s chances ahead of the 2027 general elections.
However, the outcome of the primaries in several states appeared to have departed significantly from that understanding, as a number of sitting senators were defeated by candidates allegedly backed by state governors and influential political interests. “The thinking was that senators serving their first term should be given the opportunity to complete another tenure, especially those who have not had sufficient time to deliver constituency projects and consolidate their representation.
Unfortunately, some governors pursued their own political calculations,” a senior APC source revealed. The source added that complaints have continued to pour into the party’s national secretariat from affected lawmakers and their supporters, who argue that the spirit of the President’s directive was ignored during the nomination proces
The situation has report edly created a dilemma for the APC leadership, as demands intensify for a review of senatorial contests where incumbent lawmakers were defeated. Other party insiders disclosed that some members of the National Working Committee (NWC) are examining reports from affected states amid growing calls for intervention before the submission of candidates’ names to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The controversy is said to be particularly sensitive for the National Chairman, who is struggling to balance competing interests within the party while avoiding actions that could trigger fresh legal battles and deepen internal divisions. However, there is a concern that any move to alter primary results could provoke resistance from governors.
