The just concluded primaries came with bittersweet experience for members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) at the National Assembly. In this report, CHUKWU DAVID and PHILIP NYAM examine how powerplay robbed APC members, who defected from the opposition parties of return tickets and its implication on the coming elections
Mixed feelings presently characterise the 10th Senate as many serving Senators have failed to secure return tickets in the just concluded All Progressives Congress (APC), primaries held across the 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
The APC held most of its Senatorial primaries on Monday, May 18, 2026, across the 109 districts to select candidates for the January 16, 2027 Senate and the House of Representatives elections.
However, early signs of high turnover of lawmakers in the 11th National Assembly have been witnessed after the conduct of the primaries, which saw many serving members of the nation’s apex legislative assembly out of the 2027 contest as they lost at primaries.
The worst hit among the losers are the opposition members, who dumped their parties and joined the ruling APC as a means of taking refuge, so as to be protected from any actions or inactions that might jeopardise their interest and survival in 2027 general elections.
Incidentally, the outcomes of the exercise in many states of the federation produced a mix of upsets, consensus victories, and mass disqualifications, with some of the defectors, badly injured and disappointed as they were exposed to obvious constructive total loss.
It’s interesting to note that at the inauguration of the 10th Senate on June 13, 2023, APC had simple majority of 59 seats out of the 109 Senators while all the opposition parties collectively had 50 seats, a development that the ruling party was not comfortable with, due to its implications when it comes to voting on issues on the floor.
Therefore, at the inauguration of the 10th Senate, the Party breakdown indicated that the All Progressives Congress had 59 seats; thereby holding a majority position but short of the 73 seats constitutionally required to command a twothirds supermajority.
On the opposition side, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had 36 seats as the main opposition and minority Caucus while Labour Party (LP), had 8 seats; the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), had 2 seats; Social Democratic Party (SDP), 2 seats, All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), 1 seat and Young Progressives Party (YPP), 1 seat.
However, as time went on, most of the Senators in the opposition parties felt threatened by the ruling party and became apprehensive; resulting in almost all of them defecting to the APC, to be able to secure return tickets to the 11th Assembly in 2027.
Unfortunately, this was not totally the case as some of those who dumped the parties that brought them to the Senate and joined the ruling party, could not get return tickets during the Monday primaries of the APC.
One of the Senators who defected to the APC but still got defeated, was Senator Ned Nwoko of Delta North Senatorial District.
Nwoko was elected to the Senate in 2023 on the platform of the PDP, he lost to former Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, who defeated him by a wide margin.
Also, the Senator representing Osun Central Senatorial District in the Senate, Olubiyi Fadeyi, lost the primary election to Barrister Kunle Adegoke (SAN).
Adegoke secured the party’s ticket by polling 26,655 votes against Fadeyi’s 13,138 votes. Senator Olubiyi Fadeyi was initially elected to the Senate in 2023 on the platform of the APC, which he represented until he later defected to the APC.
In Edo South, Senator Neda Imasuen, who was elected on the platform of the Labour Party, earlier defected to the APC. During the primary election on Monday, he was thoroughly beaten by a former member of the House of Representatives, Omorgie Ogbeida-Ihama.
Disqualified at screening
The APC screening committee barred at least 44 Senatorial aspirants from contesting, including three serving Senators who had defected from the PDP to the ruling party.
One of such is the Senator representing Rivers West Senatorial District, Dr Ipalibo Banigo-Harry, who is the immediate past Deputy Governor of the State, having served under former Governor Nyesom Wike.
Banigo was disqualified alongside other Rivers aspirants Tein Jack-Rich, Tamunobaabo Danagogo, and Ojukaye Flag-Amachree. While addressing journalists in Rivers on her disqualification, Banigo said that she was unaware of any political motive behind the decision of the party.
Also, Senator Benson Agadaga of Bayelsa East came to the Senate in 2023 on the platform of the PDP, but defected from the APC earlier this year. He was also listed as “not cleared” in the updated screening list released by the APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka.
Senator Garba Maidoki of Kebbi South, is another lawmaker who rode to the Senate, using the PDP as a ladder before joining the bandwagon to the ruling party. He was also disqualified.
Other APC Senators consumed by power play
Apart from those who defected to the APC and lost return tickets at the polls and those who were disqualified by the screening committee of the party, there are other Senators who came to the Senate on the platform of the ruling party but still lost at the polls.
They include Jibrin Isah, who represents Kogi East. He was defeated in the Kogi East Senatorial District primary election by Dr Erico Ameh.
Another APC heavy weight who lost at the poll is a former Gombe State Governor and Senator representing Gombe Central Senatorial District, Danjuma Goje, who is currently serving his 4th term in the Senate but crashed out on Monday.
Goje was defeated by retired Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Mohammed Ahmed, who was reportedly backed by the State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya. He secured the party’s ticket for the 2027 elections by a wide margin, marking a significant end to Goje’s 16-year stint in the National Assembly.
Other losers in this category are: Senator Emmanuel Udende, Benue North East, who lost to former Governor Gabriel Suswam. Suswan floored Udende as he scored 131,364 votes while Udende scored 1,364 votes.
In a related development, Senator Titus Zam, who represents Benue North West, equally lost the primary election to his challenger, Benjamin Aber, who scored 93,412 while Zam got 2,763 votes at the poll.
Udende and Zam are said to be victims of the acrimonious relationship between the State Governor, Hyacinth Alia and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume.
In Ondo State, two serving Senators failed to secure their return tickets. They are Adeniyi Adegbonmire of Ondo Central and Olajide Ipinsagba of Ondo North. Although they came to the Senate on the platform of APC, the due were disappointedly defeated.
Sunday Telegraph learnt that the two lawmakers could not make it at the primaries because it was the late former Governor of Ondo, Rotimi Akeredolu that influenced their election into the 10th Assembly.
In Plateau State, the incumbent Senator Diket Plang was defeated by David Bitrus Barji in the APC primary election for the Plateau Central Senatorial District. Barji polled 57,727 votes while Senator Plang scored 1,423.
Political pundits are of the view that Senator Plang, though a stalwart of the ruling party, might have lost the backing of his State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, leading to his loss at the senatorial primary.
Some of those who were either disqualified or lost at the polls are still protesting and have appealed to President Bola Tinubu and the APC national leadership to intervene.
Following the outcome of the APC primaries, there is no gainsaying that many more serving Senators will not return to the Upper Chamber in the 11th Assembly, after the2027 National Assembly elections
Reps who lost out to power play
As of the last count, over 60 lawmakers on the platform of the APC lost their bids to return in 2027. Some lost due to incompetence, while others were caught off guard by consensus or zoning arrangements in their constituencies.
Yet, some have lost favour with their godfathers or the governors who are calling the shots in the states. In fact, many of the results are being contested and some who were initially reported to have lost have bounced back and vice versa. However, the following lawmakers fell to the high-wired politicking going on in their various states.
Hon. Julius Ihonvbere (APC, Edo)
He is the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, and he represents Owan Federal Constituency of Edo State on the platform of the ruling APC. He is serving his second term in the Green Chamber but lost out in his bid for a third term in the just-concluded primaries.
The result for the constituency, which was announced by Kelvin Muhammed, the presiding officer, at the Afuze office of the party, through a video published by NTA Uzairue, said the primary election was contested by five aspirants.
He said Andrew Ijegbia, a former Edo commissioner of mining, won the election, after he polled 3,695 votes. But Ihonvbere has, however, claimed victory in the primary.
According to the lawmaker, ward-collated results from the direct primary conducted across the constituency showed that he secured 4,729 votes to defeat his closest rival, Hon. Andrew Ijegbai, who polled 2,912 votes, while Hon. Abdul Oroh recorded 29 votes.
The claim was contained in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Samson Akhanieme, following reports in some sections of the media alleging that the House Leader lost the contest.
With this conflicting result, only the National Assembly Election Appeal Committee or the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party can decide the candidate for the constituency.
Hon. Nicholas Mutu (APC, Delta)
Mutu is the longest serving member of the House of Representatives, having been first elected in 1999 and consistently represented the Bomadi/Patani Federal Constituency, Delta State) who has been in the House since 1999.
His seventh attempt to return to the House has been truncated as he lost at the primary to Basil Okolobaowei Ganagana, who emerged as the APC flagbearer ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Mutu holds the record of winning election consecutively seven times to the House, a feat no lawmaker in the lower chamber. But he lost out this time around at the primaries.
He is said not to be in the good books of the governor, even though both of them defected from the PDP. Besides, stakeholders in the constituency have argued that they need a change in leadership.
Hon. Ibrahim Isiaka (APC, Ogun)
He is the Deputy Chief Whip of the and represents the Ifo/Ewekoro Federal Constituency of Ogun state. Isiaka lost out in his fourth term bid, having been in the House since 2015.
It is said Isiaka lost because of the zoning arrangement in his constituency, which is made up of two local governments. Having come from the Ewekoro local government, he is expected to pave the way for someone from the Ifo local government axis for balance purposes.
He lost the primaries to the immediate past Ogun State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Hon. Motunrayo Adijat Adeleye.
Before the primaries, Isiaka was reportedly counseled to withdraw from the race in compliance with the zoning arrangement, but he roundly rejected the plea, leading to his loss.
Hon. Mike Etaba (APC, Cross River)
Etaba has been representing the Obubra/ Etung Federal Constituency of Cross River State since 2015. His attempt to return for the fourth time in 2027 was, however, cut short as he lost out.
Mike Etaba, representing Obubra/Etung; two-term member, Alex Egbona, representing Abi/Yakurr, who defected to the PDP before the deadline; one-term member, Godwin Offiono, representing Ogoja/Yala federal constituency;
one-term member, Emil Inyang, representing Akamkpa/Biase Federal Constituency; and one-term member, Bassey Akiba, representing Odukpani/Calabar Municipality.
Hon. Okpolupum Etteh (APC, Akwa Ibom)
A first timer who was elected in 2023, Hon. Etteh could not muster the desired delegates to win a return ticket. Representing Eket/Esit Eket/Ibeno Federal Constituency of Akwa Ibom state, he is the only lawmaker from the state to lose in the primaries.
He was defeated by Mrs. Eunice Thomas, a former Commissioner for Women’s Affairs in the state. Before the primaries, the APC in the constituency, particularly in Council Ward had purportedly suspended the spokesperson to the president of the Senate,
Hon. Eseme Eyiboh for organising the party’s stakeholder meeting in the area, where Hon. Etteh was endorsed alongside Governor Umo Eno, Senate President Godswill Akpabio and President Bola Tinubu. Apparently, the lawmaker had fallen out with the powers that be in the constituency and perhaps beyond.
