The All Progressives Congress primaries have triggered major political shakeups across the country, with no fewer than 70 serving members of the National Assembly failing to secure return tickets ahead of the 2027 elections.
The development has thrown up a wave of protests, disputes and allegations of manipulation, while violence disrupted voting in some states.
Of the affected lawmakers, at least 58 members of the House of Representatives and 12 senators are currently out of the race, either after losing their primaries, stepping down, withdrawing or being disqualified.
Among the high-profile casualties are Senators Ned Nwoko, Gbenga Daniel, Osita Izunaso, Emmanuel Udende, Titus Zam, Olubiyi Fadeyi and Saliu Mustapha.
The new Electoral Act and APC guidelines have further complicated matters for many affected lawmakers, as they can no longer switch parties after the deadline for submission of party membership registers expired on May 10.
Some former Labour Party lawmakers who defected to the APC also suffered setbacks in the primaries. They include Senator Neda Imasuen of Edo South, Esosa Iyawe of Edo, Tochukwu Okere of Imo, Bassey Akiba of Cross River and Daulyop Fom of Plateau.
Across several states, the exercises were marked by tension and complaints, with many aspirants rejecting results and questioning the credibility of the process.
One of the most dramatic incidents occurred in Ondo State, where Senator Adeniyi Adegbonmire narrowly escaped harm after armed thugs reportedly attacked his polling unit during the Ondo Central senatorial primary.
Eyewitnesses said gunmen stormed the venue in Akure, fired sporadically and allegedly shot at the senator’s vehicle when it became apparent he was leading the vote count.
The attack triggered panic as party members, officials and journalists fled for safety, while parents rushed to nearby schools amid fears of stray bullets.
Security operatives later evacuated the senator and temporarily halted the exercise.
Adegbonmire condemned the process, describing it as a “complete charade” driven by intimidation and violence.
According to him, voting had progressed peacefully until his supporters appeared to be taking the lead.
“My supporters were about 400 and there were three lines. They started counting my line first because it was the longest. But when it became clear we were leading, thugs invaded and started shooting,” he said.
The fallout from the primaries has also spread to Delta State, where uncertainty now surrounds the Senate results.
The APC National Secretariat faulted some state committees for announcing winners directly from state collation centres instead of awaiting final ratification from Abuja.
APC National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, said committees exceeded their authority by declaring winners contrary to party directives.
According to him, final announcements remain the responsibility of the party’s National Working Committee after complaints and petitions have been reviewed.
The clarification has cast fresh doubt over results announced in Delta, including those involving former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and Senators Ede Dafinone and Joel Onowakpo-Thomas.
The APC National Assembly Primaries Appeal Committee in Delta confirmed receiving five petitions from aggrieved aspirants and party stakeholders.
Elsewhere, dissatisfaction continued to trail the exercise.
In Cross River, Senator Eteng Jones Williams and aspirant Mary Ekpere rejected results circulating online, insisting no primary election took place in any of the 66 wards of Cross River Central.
In Benue, two serving senators Titus Zam and Emmanuel Udende lost their return tickets, although both rejected the outcomes and alleged that results had been manipulated.
Former Governor Gabriel Suswam staged a political comeback in Benue North-East, defeating Udende in a landslide.
In Kaduna, former Speaker Yusuf Zailani dismissed the Kaduna Central senatorial primary as invalid, alleging that voting materials never arrived in the seven local councils.
Protests also rocked the APC national secretariat in Abuja, where stakeholders from Kogi Central demanded cancellation of the senatorial primary that produced former Governor Yahaya Bello as winner.
The protesters argued that Bello was not properly cleared by the party and therefore lacked legitimacy to participate.
Zamfara APC aspirant Sani Shinkafi warned that alleged imposition of candidates could drag the party into another legal crisis similar to the 2019 Supreme Court ruling that cost APC all elective positions in the state.
In Ekiti, former Senator Ayo Arise rejected the outcome of the Ekiti North primary, accusing officials of fabricating figures and disrupting the voting process.
Despite the controversies, some aspirants secured victories without resistance. In Kwara, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq emerged unopposed in the Kwara Central senatorial primary, while incumbents David Jimkuta and Haruna Manu retained their tickets in Taraba.
As APC prepares for governorship primaries, the growing list of petitions, protests and disputed outcomes signals that the battle over tickets may be far from over.
