APC Primaries Fallout: Over 70 Federal Lawmakers Lose Return Tickets for 2027 Elections (Full List)

APC Primaries Fallout: Over 70 Federal Lawmakers Lose Return Tickets for 2027 Elections (Full List)

Abuja, Nigeria – The All Progressives Congress (APC) has concluded its legislative primaries for the 2027 general elections, and the outcome has sent shockwaves through the National Assembly. No fewer than 70 serving federal lawmakers – including senate committee chairs, a former governor, and the House Majority Leader – have been denied the party’s ticket to return for another term.

The ruling party held its House of Representatives primaries on May 16, 2026, and Senate primaries on May 18, 2026. While party leaders had hoped for a smooth process, the exercise produced major upsets across nearly two-thirds of Nigeria’s states. Widespread allegations of result manipulation, governor-led imposition of candidates, and outright cancellation of voting have since triggered an internal crisis within the APC, with many aggrieved candidates now heading to court.

Below is a detailed breakdown of the lawmakers who lost, the key battles that reshaped the National Assembly, and what happens next.

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Full List: Senators Who Lost APC Return Tickets

The Senate suffered some of the most dramatic defeats. Veteran politicians who had served multiple terms were swept aside – in several cases by candidates backed by state governors.

Note: Senator Danjuma Goje, a former governor of Gombe State, lost after 15 consecutive years in the Red Chamber – one of the longest-serving APC senators to be defeated in these primaries.

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Full List: House of Representatives Members Who Lost Return Tickets

In the House of Representatives, the casualties included principal officers, ranking committee chairmen, and several lawmakers who had defected from opposition parties.

Principal Officers Defeated

• Prof. Julius Ihonvbere – House Majority Leader (Owan Federal Constituency, Edo)

• Ibrahim Isiaka – Deputy Chief Whip (Ifo/Ewekoro, Ogun)

Full Alphabetical List of Defeated Reps Members

• Abiodun Akinlade (Ipokia/Yewa South, Ogun)

• Ajang Iliya (Jos South/Jos East, Plateau)

• Akinlayo Kolawole (Ekiti North II, Ekiti)

• Ari Mohamed Abdul-Mumin (Nasarawa/Toto, Nasarawa)

• Asema Achado (Gwer East/Gwer West, Benue)

• Bashiru Dawodu (Oshodi-Isolo, Lagos)

• Bassey Akiba (Odukpani/Calabar Municipality, Cross River)

• Chike Okafor (Okigwe South, Imo)

• Daniel Asama (Jos North/Bassa, Plateau)

• Daulyop Fom (Plateau) – former Labour Party defector

• David Ogewu (Oju/Obi, Benue)

• David Zachariya (Igalamela/Idah, Kogi)

• Dickson Tarkighir (Makurdi/Guma, Benue)

• Donatus Mathew (Kaura, Kaduna) – former Labour Party defector

• Emeka Martins Chinedu (Ahiazu/Ezinihitte, Imo)

• Eseosa Iyawe (Oredo, Edo)

• Harrison Nwadike (Isu/Njaba/Nkwerre/Nwangele, Imo)

• Ibrahim Usman Auyo (Hadejia/Auyo/Kafin Hausa, Jigawa)

• Ismail Kayode (Ifelodun/Oyun/Offa, Kwara)

• Jeremiah Umaru (Wamba/Akwanga/Nasarawa Eggon, Nasarawa)

• John Dafaan (Qua’anpan/Shendam/Mikang, Plateau)

• Kafilat Ogbara (Kosofe, Lagos)

• Mansur Musa Jega (Jega/Gwandu/Aleiro, Kebbi)

• Matthew Nwogu (Aboh Mbaise/Ngor Okpala, Imo)

• Mike Etaba (Obubra/Etung, Cross River)

• Miriam Onuoha (Okigwe North, Imo)

• Muktar Muhammad (Kazaure/Roni/Gwiwa/Yankwashi, Jigawa)

• Ngozi Okolie (Aniocha/Oshimili, Delta)

• Nicholas Mutu (Bomadi/Patani, Delta)

• Sa’adu Wada Taura (Ringim/Taura, Jigawa)

• Sekav Iortyom (Buruku, Benue)

• Sesoo Ikpagher (Vandeikya/Konshisha, Benue)

• Terseer Ugbor (Kwande/Ushongo, Benue)

• Timilehin Adelegbe (Owo/Ose, Ondo)

• Tijani Ozigi (Okene/Ogori-Magongo, Kogi)

• Tochukwu Okere (Imo) – former Labour Party defector

• Tunji Akinosi (Ado-Odo/Ota, Ogun)

• Vincent Bulus (Langtang, Plateau)

• Yusif Miga (Jahun/Miga, Jigawa)

Key takeaway: In Benue State alone, six APC House members loyal to SGF George Akume lost their tickets to candidates backed by Governor Hyacinth Alia – a clear demonstration of governor-led consolidation.

APC Primaries Fallout

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Veteran Lawmakers Who Survived

Despite the bloodletting, several long-serving lawmakers managed to retain their tickets. These include:

• Senator Ali Ndume (Borno South) – in the Senate since 2003

• Senator Ahmad Lawan (Yobe North) – former Senate President, in the National Assembly since 1999

• Hon. Alhassan Doguwa (Tudun Wada/Doguwa, Kano)

• Hon. Muktar Betara (Biase, Borno)

• Speaker Abbas Tajudeen (Zaria, Kaduna)

• Hon. James Faleke (Ikeja, Lagos)

• Hon. Tahir Monguno (Monguno, Borno)

• Hon. Oluwole Oke (Obokun, Osun)

• Hon. Idris Wase (Wase, Plateau)

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Why Did So Many Lawmakers Lose? Key Factors

1. Governor-Led Imposition of Candidates

In state after state, sitting governors overrode party structures and anointed their preferred candidates. In Ogun State, Deputy Chief Whip Ibrahim Isiaka alleged: “There was no primary election in my federal constituency because my governor did not allow it. He only issued a directive to affirm his anointed candidate.”

2. Anti-Incumbent Sentiment

In several constituencies, party delegates grew weary of lawmakers who had spent a decade or more in office without visible impact. The defeat of Danjuma Goje after 15 years is the clearest example.

3. Defector Penalty

Lawmakers who originally won their seats on Labour Party or PDP tickets before defecting to the APC after 2023 – such as Donatus Mathew and Tochukwu Okere – found themselves without grassroots structures to secure primaries.

4. Direct Primary Manipulation

The APC shifted to direct primaries after consensus collapsed in many states. However, critics describe the exercise as a “festival of manipulation” – with widespread allegations of no voting, invisible elections, and fabricated results.

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Protests, Rejections, and Next Steps

Lawmakers Rejecting Results

Several defeated lawmakers have publicly rejected the outcomes and vowed to challenge them.

House Majority Leader Julius Ihonvbere (Edo) stated:
“I did not lose the election. They did not even come to the field. They wrote some meaningless results and abused the returning officer to make an announcement.”

Senator Diket Plang (Plateau Central) insisted:
“No election actually took place. Results were fabricated the next day. This is the worst primary in my career.”

Senator Gbenga Daniel (Ogun East) alleged his exclusion from a key stakeholders’ meeting where Governor Abiodun was endorsed as consensus candidate.

Legal Actions and Defection Threats

Aggrieved aspirants have three main options:

1. File petitions to the APC Primary Appeal Committees (deadlines: 48–72 hours after results)

2. Head to court to challenge results on grounds of Electoral Act violations

3. Defect to another party – but the window is narrow. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) deadline for party membership registration for the 2027 cycle passed on May 10, 2026.

What This Means for 2027

The purge of over 70 incumbent lawmakers means the National Assembly will see a massive turnover in 2027. While this may bring fresh faces, it also risks:

• Loss of institutional memory

• Weakened legislative oversight (new lawmakers take 1–2 years to learn rules)

• Potential defections that could affect APC’s majority status

 

APC Primaries Fallout: Over 70 Federal Lawmakers Lose Return Tickets for 2027 Elections (Full List)