The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has been plunged into one of its deepest internal crises in recent years after chaotic House of Representatives primaries ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections left at least 26 serving lawmakers without return tickets and triggered accusations of manipulation, intimidation, and anti-democratic practices across multiple states.
From Rivers State and Lagos State to Benue State, Ekiti State and Imo State, the primaries exposed bitter rivalries within the governing party as governors, political blocs and influential godfathers battled for control of candidacies, sidelining incumbents and provoking threats of litigation from aggrieved aspirants.
The APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, confirmed that 14 aspirants were disqualified during screening, including four serving lawmakers. He said the affected aspirants “failed to scale the party’s screening exercise conducted in line with established procedures and guidelines”, though no detailed explanation was provided.
Among those disqualified were Iduma Igariwey, Awaji-Inombek Abiante, Anderson Allison and Boma Goodhead, further deepening tensions in Rivers State, where the party remains fractured between factions loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara and allies of the Federal Capital Territory minister, Nyesom Wike.
The APC cleared several politicians widely viewed as aligned with Wike, including former PDP chairman Felix Obuah and Senator Allwell Onyesoh, while figures associated with Fubara’s camp, including former secretary to the state government Tammy Danagogo, were screened out.
Party insiders described the process as a weapon in the escalating political struggle over control of Rivers ahead of 2027.
“The screening process is being used to settle political scores,” one party source said. “It is no longer about competence or popularity.”
One of the most dramatic upsets came in Edo State, where House Leader Julius Ihonvbere lost his Owan Federal Constituency ticket to former commissioner Andrew Ijegbai.
Rejecting the outcome, Ihonvbere accused party officials of fabricating results.
“I did not lose the election,” he said. “They wrote some meaningless results and abused the returning officer to make an announcement.”
Another Edo lawmaker, Esosa Iyawe, who defected from the Labour Party to the APC in 2024, also lost his ticket and alleged widespread violence and disenfranchisement.
“The process fell far short of the democratic standards and directives laid down by President Bola Tinubu,” he said, claiming some of his supporters were assaulted during the exercise.
In Kwara State, tensions rose after serving lawmaker Tijani Kayode was reportedly credited with zero votes in a contest won by Rafiu Ajakaye, who is believed to enjoy backing from allies of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.
“Did they conduct an election in the first place?” Kayode asked, hinting at legal action. “This may end up in litigation.”
A parallel dispute erupted over attempts to secure a third Senate term for Deputy Senate Leader Lola Ashiru, with party stakeholders warning against undermining internal democracy through imposed candidacies.
In Ogun State, four serving House members lost out after the party adopted consensus arrangements that critics described as engineered to favour preferred aspirants.
Deputy Chief Whip Isiaka Ibrahim accused Governor Dapo Abiodun of orchestrating what he called an “affirmation” process rather than a genuine primary election.
“There was no primary election in my federal constituency,” Ibrahim alleged. “He only gave a directive for an affirmation of his anointed candidate.”
The lawmaker circulated videos purportedly showing irregular counting procedures and multiple voting.
Meanwhile, loyalists of former Ogun governor Gbenga Daniel claimed state-backed political thugs had hijacked the process, creating an atmosphere of intimidation.
In Imo State, four serving lawmakers lost their return tickets despite assurances from Governor Hope Uzodimma that the Option A4 voting system would guarantee transparency and fairness.
One of the defeated lawmakers, Miriam Onuoha, nevertheless accepted the outcome and reaffirmed her loyalty to the party leadership.
“The party is supreme,” she said.
The situation in Lagos State reflected the continuing influence of entrenched political blocs within the APC. Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, displaced incumbent Hameed Adewale in Agege Federal Constituency, while Kafilat Ogbara reportedly lost the Kosofe ticket to council chairman Moyosore Oshinowo.
Several aspirants rejected the announced figures, insisting no credible voting process had taken place.
In Ekiti State, the primaries descended into chaos after violence and irregularities forced party officials to declare the contest for Ekiti North I inconclusive.
Three serving lawmakers lost their tickets, while multiple aspirants denounced the process as fraudulent.
“The election was in shambles,” said Akinlayo Kolawole. “There was no election. Figures were written in most areas.”
Another aspirant, Teju Okuyiga, accused party leaders of deliberately undermining gender representation and internal democracy.
“When party leaders actively work against inclusion and gender representation, it weakens our party’s credibility,” she said.
The backlash intensified after former Senate Minority Leader Biodun Olujimi and former House member Bamidele Faparusi jointly raised concerns over voter intimidation, coercion of officials and the exclusion of agents from collation centres.
Violence also marred the primaries in Plateau State, where a resident identified as Sani Abdullahi was killed during unrest linked to delays in the conduct of the exercise in Mangu Local Government Area.
Eyewitnesses said security personnel opened fire after protesters clashed with officials, with a stray bullet reportedly striking the victim.
Outspoken lawmaker Yusuf Gagdi, who contested for Speaker of the House in 2023, also lost his renomination bid.
In Benue State, the primaries became a proxy war between Governor Hyacinth Alia and allies of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume.
Candidates aligned with Alia secured sweeping victories, while several politicians linked to Akume’s camp lost out, exposing the depth of divisions within the state chapter of the party.
The primaries also reignited controversy over automatic tickets after Akume claimed President Bola Tinubu had endorsed automatic returns for serving lawmakers and governors — a claim publicly rejected by Alia.
Across Katsina State, Kebbi State, Kano State and Kogi State, consensus arrangements similarly shaped outcomes, with several incumbents pushed aside during negotiations brokered by party powerbrokers.
In Kogi, former governor Yahaya Bello was cleared for the Kogi Central Senatorial contest despite lingering speculation over his eligibility, while incumbent Senator Sunday Karimi emerged as the consensus candidate in Kogi West following a stakeholders’ meeting chaired by Governor Usman Ododo.
Elsewhere, aspirants in Gombe State and other states rejected results outright, alleging that winners had been announced despite no voting taking place.
The scale of discontent following the APC primaries has heightened fears of a prolonged internal crisis that could weaken the ruling party ahead of the 2027 elections, as disgruntled lawmakers weigh legal challenges and rival factions intensify battles for influence across the federation.
