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• Suswam, Elegbeleye, 5 other senatorial, 19 Reps candidates dropped
From Fred Itua and Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
The political landscape within the All Progressives Congress (APC) has shifted dramatically following the confirmation that the party has issued nomination forms to candidates cleared to contest the 2027 general elections.
This development, coming 24 hours after an exclusive report by Daily Sun first revealed that the party was secretly distributing forms to selected aspirants, indicates that the window for change has officially closed for aggrieved politicians.
Meanwhile, the party has dropped former governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam, former Ondo State House of Representatives member, Gbenga Elegbeleye and five other senatorial candidates from the final lists of the party’s candidates forwarded to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Also dropped and replaced candidates are 19 House of Representatives candidates that emerged victorious in the May party’s primary elections. According to the document, states affected include Kogi, Abia, Benue, Taraba, Ondo, Niger, Kwara, Kaduna and Ebonyi.
In the correspondence sent to the electoral umpire and signed by both the National Chairman and National Secretary, Nentawe Yilwatda and Ajibola Basiru respectively, the party’s national leadership attributed the changes to the reports of the Primary Election Appeal Committee.
Titled: “Forwarding of approved list of senatorial and House of Representatives candidates, the letter read: “We write to formally forward the attached list of the party’s candidates for the affected senatorial and House of Representatives candidates constituencies arising from the report of the Primary Election Appeal Committee.”
“Following the determination of Appeals from the recently concluded primary elections, the Reports of the Appeal Committee were reviewed and subsequently considered and approved by NWC of the APC as the party’s final position on the affected constituencies.
“In accordance with the Electoral Act 2022 (as amended) and INEC’s regulations and guidelines, we hereby transmit the enclosed list of the approved candidates for seven senatorial districts and 19 House of Representatives constituencies for your records and necessary action. Please accept the assurance of our highest regards.” i
The affected senatorial candidates and their replacements include, Kogi West where Senator Sunday Karimi replaced Aro Samuel Bamidele, Abia South Senatorial districts where Edinburgh Uchenna Erondu was replaced by Prince Paul Ikonne, Benue North East senatorial district where Gabriel Suswam was replaced by Emmanuel Memga Udende, Benue North West where Titus Tartenger Zam replaced Benjamin T Aber.
Others are Taraba North senatorial district where Mohammed Kabir Bello was replaced by Shuibu Isa Lau, Ondo Central where Taiwo Fasorati was substituted by Adeniyi Adegbonmire and Ondo North senatorial zone where Gbenga Elegbeleye was replaced by Olajide Ipinsagbe.
In the lists for the House of Representatives in Benue Dickson Tarkighir replaced Ikper Chris Terfa in Makurdi/Human Federal Constituency, Sesoo Ikpagher replaced Livinus Tsar Adzor in Vandekiya/Konshsha Federal Constituency, Terser Ugbor substituted Kohol Shedrach Iornem in Kwnade/Ushngo Federal constituency, Sekav Dzua Iyortyom replaced Gideon Inyom in Buruku Federal Constituency while Nongo David was replaced by Austin Asema Achado in Gwer East/Gwer West Federal Constituency.
In Taraba, Peter Abel Diah replaced Sanusi Mohammed Galadima in Gashaka/Kurmi/Sardauna Federal Constituency, while Abubakar Lado Abdullahi substituted Adamu Tanko in Seleja/Tafa/Gurara Federal Constituency and Adamu Suleiman was used to replace Adamu Usman in Lavun/Idati/Mokwa both from Niger State.
In Kwara, Raheem Tunji Olawuyi replaced Olasumbo Florence Oyeyemi in Ekiti/Irepodun/Oke-Ero Federal Constituency and Mohammed Mamman substituted Bello Tauheed Abubakar in Edu/Patigi/Moro Federal Constituency.
In Ondo, Donald Ojogo replaced Akingboye Leke in Ilaje/Ese-Ode Federal Constituency, Festus Olarewaju replaced Rasaq Obe in Idanre Federal Constituency, Oluwatimehin Akintomide replaced Kayode Ijalana in Owo/Ose Federal Constituency, Okunjinmi John Odimayo replaced Olumuyiwa Daramola in Okitipupa/Irele Federal Constituency, Michel Olamidotun Akintomide substituted Abiola Makinde in Ondo West/Ondo East Federal Constituency while Festus Ayodele Adefiranye replaced Oyerinmade Matthew in Ile-Olu/Oke-Igbo/Odigbo Federal Constituency.
In Kaduna, Abia and Ebonyi, the party forwarded names of Abdulazeez Kaka as replacement for Samaila Abdu Suleiman in Kaduna North Federal Constituency, Samuel Okezie as replacement for Chris Nkwonta in Ukwa East/Ukwa West Federal Constituency Abia while Ekumankama Joseph Nkama replaced Iduma Igaiwe Enwo in Afikpo North/Edda Federal Constituency, Ebonyi State.
•Promise kept
Findings show that President Bola Tinubu largely kept to his promise of giving state governors a free hand to determine party candidates, though this strategy has plunged several state chapters into deep crisis.
The control handed to the governors has left several heavyweight senators and high-profile aspirants across the country losing out in the fierce battle for return tickets.
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Incumbents who failed to secure their party’s backing find themselves politically stranded as the impact of the strict anti-defection laws prevents them from easily switching platforms late in the game.
This has sparked severe internal rifts, with disgruntled lawmakers lodging official complaints and promising political retaliation against what they describe as a deliberate sidelining of established party figures.
The ticket struggle had provoked widespread tension, particularly in Edo and Delta States where the senatorial primaries proved especially contentious.
In Edo South, the primary descended into chaos, characterised by pockets of violence across various local government wards. Prominent aspirants such as Osagie Ize-Iyamu and the incumbent lawmaker, Senator Neda Imasuen, lost out under controversial circumstances.
Imasuen expressed bitter disappointment over the conduct of the exercise, alleging that he was completely prevented from casting his vote, which forced him to flee the venue to avoid violence before seeking redress through the party’s appeal process.
In Delta North, a similar crisis unfolded as Senator Ned Nwoko rejected the primary results. Nwoko claimed he held ward-by-ward evidence of victory, leading to duelling declarations of success that have thoroughly split the local leadership.
A look at the final candidates’ list reveals that the casualties of the governors’ leverage span every geopolitical zone, cutting down some of the upper chamber’s most visible figures.
In the South West, the battle lines were harshly drawn in Ogun East, where former governor Senator Gbenga Daniel lost his return ticket following a fierce and highly publicised feud with the state Governor Dapo Abiodun, over the control of the party structure.
A similar fate befell Senator Olubiyi Fadeyi in Osun Central, who, despite recently defecting to the ruling party to boost its legislative majority, found no protection from the local party apparatus when the final tickets were distributed.
The North Central zone suffered the heaviest clearance of incumbent lawmakers, highlighting the total grip of the region’s governors.
In Benue State, the internal power struggle claimed both Senator Emmanuel Udende of Benue North-East and Senator Titus Zam of Benue West, both of whom were denied return tickets as the state leadership opted for replacements.
In Plateau Central, Senator Diket Plang was sidelined while in Kwara South, the veteran lawmaker Senator Oyelola Ashiru failed to secure his ticket amidst the broader administrative reshuffle dividing the state.
In Kogi East, where Senator Isah Jibrin has long maintained a strong legislative presence, the party executive chose to advance a new face, shutting the door on his re-election bid.
The pattern repeated itself in the South East, where Senator Osita Izunaso of Imo West was cut from the roster, proving that even ranking status offered no immunity against the governors’ lists.
Among the governors themselves, the absolute right to name successors and legislative candidates did not hold universally.
In Kwara State, the person the governor wanted as his successor failed to scale through the governorship primary, with the presidential preference, Yakubu Salihu Danladi, receiving the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) nomination form instead.
Similarly, Ondo State Governor, Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, was overridden by the presidency in favour of loyalists tied to the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.
With the party finalising its full candidate submission list, the contrast between the concessions given to some governors and the direct presidential interventions in other states has left the APC navigating a treacherous path.
A senior APC chieftain noted that while the president mostly allowed governors to run their states’ affairs, the resulting fallout, parallel primaries and high-profile casualties show that the party leadership will have to work overtime to heal these self-inflicted wounds before the general elections.
