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The political landscape of Nigeria’s National Assembly has been altered significantly following the conclusion of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary elections.
The heavily contested exercises, meant to clear the path for the 2027 general elections, instead became a political graveyard for numerous high-profile incumbent lawmakers who failed to secure their return tickets.
Despite intense lobbying and original expectations of automatic tickets to maintain legislative continuity, internal party friction, strategic consensus maneuvers, and strict anti-defection provisions in the new Electoral Act 2026 ultimately cost over two dozen lawmakers their legislative ambitions.
Red Chamber Casualty List
The Senate suffered profound shocks as several political heavyweights fell by the wayside, unable to cross either the ballot line or the party’s stringent screening procedures.
In Delta North Senatorial District, Senator Ned Nwoko suffered a devastating defeat, losing the APC ticket to former Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa by a wide margin.
A similar upset played out in Edo South, where Senator Neda Imasuen yielded his ticket to former federal lawmaker Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama, while in Kogi East, Senator Jibrin Isah, widely known as “Echocho,” was decisively defeated by Dr Erico Ameh.
The primary process proved equally unforgiving before the ballots were even cast. The APC screening committees locked out several notable red chamber figures.
Among those disqualified from participating in the primary elections were Senator Ipalibo Banigo of Rivers West, Senator Benson Agadaga of Bayelsa East, and Senator Abdulhamid Madori of Jigawa North West, leaving them entirely stranded as the party advanced new flagbearers.
Green Chamber Clean Sweep
The casualty count climbed even higher in the House of Representatives, where at least 26 serving lawmakers were stripped of their reelection platforms.
The most prominent casualty in the Green Chamber was House Majority Leader Julius Ihonvbere, whose bid for a third term representing Owan Federal Constituency in Edo State was halted by former Commissioner for Mining Andrew Ijegbai, following a strictly enforced local zoning arrangement.
Still in Edo State, Eseosa Iyawe, a defector who had previously hoped to solidify his base under the APC banner, lost the Oredo Federal Constituency ticket to Dr Paddy Iyamu.
Delta State delivered another historical upset as veteran lawmaker Nicholas Mutu, who has held the Bomadi/Patani Federal Constituency seat continuously since the return to democracy in 1999, was unseated by Basil Okolobaowei Ganagana.
The sweep moved fiercely through the North Northwest and North Central zones.
In Jigawa State, four incumbent lawmakers simultaneously lost their return tickets. These included Muktar Muhammad (Kazaure/Roni/Gwiwa/Yankwashi), Ibrahim Usman Auyo (Hadejia/Auyo/Kafin Hausa), Sa’adu Wada Taura (Ringim/Taura), and Yusif Sa’idu Miga (Jahun/Miga).
Benue State similarly recorded widespread losses for sitting members, while a fierce screening process oversaw the fall of prominent lawmakers in the East, including Chike Okafor and Mirian Onuoha, both of whom failed to navigate the highly competitive dynamics of the party’s primary layout.
Aftermath and Reconciliation
The sweeping losses have plunged the ruling party into an immediate internal crisis, with many affected lawmakers openly protesting the outcomes, citing allegations of manipulation and enforced consensus arrangements.
As the dust settles on the democratic shakeup, the APC leadership under National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka has quickly moved to initiate aggressive reconciliation efforts.
However, with so many powerful incumbents displaced, the political configurations within both legislative chambers are bound to experience profound realignments heading into the general elections.
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