Fresh cracks have emerged within the All Progressives Congress (APC) after the party revised the outcome of several National Assembly primaries, exposing fierce internal power struggles, triggering resistance from its Abia chapter and fuelling a court battle over the Delta South senatorial ticket.

The revisions were driven largely by pressure from state governors and other influential party leaders, resulting in the replacement of several winners of the primaries.

At least 26 National Assembly aspirants, including former Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswam and former House of Representatives member Gbenga Elegbeleye, failed to make the final list submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after becoming casualties of the internal power contest.

In the case of Suswam, it was gathered that the supremacy battle between the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, and Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia was instrumental in his last-minute replacement to guarantee the governor’s preferred candidates for the State Assembly.

Similarly, the rapprochement between Ebonyi State Governor Francis Nwifuru and the Minister of Works, David Umahi, reportedly cost Iduma Igariwey Enwo his return to the House of Representatives, as the minister’s preferred aspirant, Joseph Nkwamma, was listed instead in the documentation submitted to INEC.

The changes, approved by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), affect candidates in seven senatorial districts and 19 House of Representatives constituencies across Benue, Ondo, Kogi, Abia, Taraba, Niger, Kwara, Kaduna and Ebonyi states. The revised list was forwarded to INEC in a joint letter signed by APC National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda and National Secretary Ajibola Basiru.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, told reporters that the substitutions followed recommendations by the Primary Election Appeal Committee after it reviewed petitions arising from the recently concluded party primaries.

In the letter to INEC, the APC stated that the appeal committee’s recommendations had been reviewed and adopted by the NWC as the party’s final decision on the affected constituencies. It added that the changes were made in compliance with the Electoral Act 2022 (as amended) and INEC’s regulations and guidelines.

Among the major changes, Senator Emmanuel Memga Udende emerged as the APC candidate for Benue North East, replacing former Governor Gabriel Suswam. Titus Tartenger Zam also secured the Benue North West senatorial ticket in place of Benjamin Aber.

In Ondo State, former lawmaker Gbenga Elegbeleye lost the Ondo North senatorial ticket to Olajide Ipinsagbe, while Adeniyi Adegbonmire replaced Taiwo Fasorati as the party’s candidate for Ondo Central. Other changes saw Senator Sunday Karimi replacing Aro Samuel Bamidele in Kogi West, Prince Paul Ikonne replacing Edinburgh Uchenna Erondu in Abia South, and Shuaibu Isa Lau emerging as the candidate for Taraba North in place of Mohammed Kabir Bello.

The review also triggered widespread changes to the party’s House of Representatives candidates. Benue recorded five substitutions, while six candidates were replaced in Ondo State, including Donald Ojogo, who emerged as the candidate for Ilaje/Ese-Odo Federal Constituency, and Festus Olarewaju, who secured the Idanre ticket. Additional replacements were made in Taraba, Niger, Kwara, Kaduna and Ebonyi states.

Morka said: “We took our time to undertake a very thorough review of all the petitions that came after the primaries. There were over 700 petitions, and they were properly vetted. Some were successful and some were not. Those that were successful led to corrections in some constituencies.

“The appeal process had been concluded, and the candidates currently completing INEC documentation represent the APC’s final list. The party’s immediate priority is ensuring that all successful candidates complete and return the required nomination forms for upload to the INEC Candidate Nomination Portal before the commission’s deadline.”

Akpabio, Oshiomhole, four govs make APC’s final Senate list
THE All Progressives Congress retained Senate President Godswill Akpabio and several other ranking lawmakers among those whose nomination documents have been processed through the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Candidate Nomination Portal.

Sources familiar with the exercise disclosed that Akpabio, Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, Senate Chief Whip Mohammed Monguno and former Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole have all received the mandatory Candidate Affidavit Form, while their names have been uploaded to INEC’s nomination portal.

The ruling party has also cleared four serving governors to contest senatorial seats in the 2027 general election. They are Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri and Gombe State Governor Inuwa Yahaya.

In Kaduna State, former Governor Mukhtar Ramalan Yero, Senator Shehu Sani and Senator Sunday Marshall Katung also secured clearance to fly their respective parties’ flags in the race for Senate seats.

Former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello also emerged as the APC’s candidate for Kogi Central Senatorial District.

The approved nominees form part of the APC’s 109 senatorial candidates whose particulars are being transmitted to the electoral commission.

Party sources said the ongoing submission followed the ratification of the results of the April primary elections and a review of nominations in line with the recommendations of the Primary Election Appeal Committee, as well as INEC’s guidelines.

For the House of Representatives, Speaker Abbas Tajudeen, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, James Abiodun Faleke and Mudashiru Obasa are among prominent APC candidates whose nominations are also being processed.

INEC opened its online Candidate Nomination Portal on June 27 for political parties to submit the names and credentials of their presidential and National Assembly candidates. The submission window is scheduled to close on July 11.

The commission requires political parties to upload Form EC-9C, containing candidates’ personal particulars, alongside Forms EC-9A to EC-9E, which contain the lists of nominated candidates and other statutory documentation.

Abia APC rejects revised candidates’ list, retains original nominees
MEANWHILE, the Abia State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has defied the revised list of candidates submitted by the party’s national leadership to the Independent National Electoral Commission, releasing a separate list of candidates for the 2027 general election.

The position of the state chapter was contained in a statement issued yesterday by the party’s spokesman in Abia, Uche Aguoru.

The development came hours after the APC national headquarters replaced Uchenna Erondu with Paul Ikonne as the party’s senatorial candidate for Abia South and substituted Chris Nkwonta with Samuel Okezie as the candidate for the Ukwa East/Ukwa West Federal Constituency.

However, the Abia APC retained Erondu and Nkwonta on its list of candidates.

The state chapter also recognised Eric Opah as the APC governorship candidate for the 2027 election. It listed Orji Uzor Kalu, Emeka Atuma and Erondu as the party’s senatorial candidates.

For the House of Representatives, the chapter recognised Nkwonta, Uzo Azubuike, Udo Alozie, Uzo Ihuka, Chinedum Orji, Benjamin Kalu, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha and Ikenna Ukwa as the party’s candidates.

The Abia APC congratulated those it described as winners of the governorship and National Assembly primaries conducted by the party’s National Working Committee.

It also commended the APC National Chairman, Prof Nentawe Yilwatda, and members of the NWC for conducting what it described as a transparent, credible and fair primary election.

APC denies releasing official list of successful N’Assembly candidates
THIS came as the Special Adviser on Media and Communication Strategy to the APC National Chairman, Abimbola Tooki, insisted that no comprehensive list of successful candidates was officially released by the party’s National Working Committee, contrary to widespread media reports.

He explained that although the NWC approved the list of successful and qualified candidates, it transmitted it directly to the party’s various state chapters for implementation rather than releasing it publicly.

“The list actually emanated from the NWC and was sent to the various states, from where successful and qualified candidates were contacted. The NWC did not release any list on its own,” he said.

Tooki also dismissed allegations that the process was shrouded in secrecy, describing the claims as unfounded and driven by misinformation.

According to him: “Following the primaries, several petitions were received and duly considered by the appropriate committee. Petitions found to lack merit were dismissed, while those with genuine complaints were thoroughly reviewed and addressed, in line with the party’s guidelines.

“The insinuation that some aspirants were lured into joining the APC only to be manipulated out of the primaries is simply not true. The process was conducted in accordance with the party’s rules, and every petition was treated on its merits.”

Court fixes July 6 hearing in Delta APC senatorial primary dispute
RELATEDLY, the Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed July 6 for the definite hearing of a suit seeking to determine the authentic winner of the All Progressives Congress primary election for the Delta South Senatorial District.

The suit was filed by former Chairman of the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC), Prince Michael Diden, who is challenging the declaration of Senator Joel Onowakpo as the winner of the party’s May 18 senatorial primary.

At yesterday’s proceedings, Diden’s counsel, Bankole Joel Akomolafe (SAN), informed the court that the matter was scheduled for hearing and that the plaintiff was ready to proceed. He, however, said counsel to Onowakpo, Habeeb Lawal, had only just served him with the defendant’s statement of defence, necessitating additional time to file a reply.

Akomolafe told the court that although the defence was filed on June 24, it was not served on his client until shortly before the hearing, contrary to procedural requirements.

Presiding Judge, Justice Mohammed Garba Umar, urged the parties to agree to a short adjournment to avoid delays during the substantive hearing.

Following the agreement of counsel, the court adjourned the matter until July 6 and directed that all outstanding processes be filed and exchanged before the hearing date. Justice Umar also ordered that fresh hearing notices be served on all parties in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1094/2026.

At the proceedings, Lukman Fagbemi (SAN) appeared for the APC, while the Independent National Electoral Commission, though served with hearing notice, was not represented.

Diden is the plaintiff in the suit, while Onowakpo, the APC and INEC are the first, second and third defendants, respectively.

In the suit filed on May 30, Diden is asking the court to declare him the winner of the APC direct primary on the grounds that he scored the highest number of valid votes cast.

According to the statement of claim filed by Akomolafe, the plaintiff alleged that Onowakpo manipulated the outcome of the primary by announcing what he described as forged results.

Diden contended that the APC National Working Committee, which conducted the primary, had directed that the collation and official announcement of the results would take place in Abuja after the submission of results from across the district.

He alleged that Onowakpo disregarded that directive by publicly declaring himself winner and circulating results that did not reflect the actual outcome of the election.

The plaintiff further claimed that authentic ward results from the eight local government areas in Delta South showed that he polled 96,893 votes, while Onowakpo secured 31,918 votes.

He also told the court that party leaders, stakeholders and members in the district petitioned the APC national leadership to reject what they described as the fraudulent declaration of Onowakpo as the winner. His lawyers also lodged a separate complaint with the party’s national chairman over the conduct of the exercise.

Among the reliefs sought, Diden is asking the court to declare him the lawful winner of the APC primary and order the party to submit his name to INEC as its candidate for the 2027 Delta South Senatorial District election.

He is also seeking an order directing INEC to accept his nomination as the APC’s candidate.