More than 50 members of the House of Representatives may fail to return to the National Assembly after suffering defeats or stepping aside during the All Progressives Congress primaries held across the country ahead of the 2027 elections.
While Speaker Tajudeen Abbas and Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu secured return tickets, several powerful lawmakers lost out in what became one of the biggest political upsets within the ruling party.
Among the major casualties was House Majority Leader Julius Ihonvbere, who lost the APC ticket for Edo’s Owan Federal Constituency after finishing third in the primary election. Veteran lawmaker Nicholas Mutu, who has been in the House since 1999, also failed to secure another ticket for Bomadi/Patani Federal Constituency in Delta State.
Yusuf Gagdi, representing Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam in Plateau State, equally lost his bid for a third term after suffering a heavy defeat in the primaries.
In Cross River State, five serving lawmakers were denied return tickets, including Mike Etaba, Godwin Offiono, Emil Inyang and Bassey Akiba. Only a few incumbents managed to survive the intense contest for tickets.
The primaries also produced major political surprises in Bayelsa, Rivers, Delta, Ogun, Ekiti and Ondo states, where several sitting lawmakers either lost tickets, abandoned the APC race or switched political camps.
In Rivers State, notable lawmakers including Boma Goodhead and Awaji-Inombek Abiante reportedly lost out, while in Delta, Ngozi Okolie was defeated by former House Minority Leader Ndudi Elumelu.
Three incumbents in Ekiti State also crashed out during the primaries after losing to challengers who secured massive delegate votes.
The exercise triggered fresh controversy in several states, with aggrieved aspirants accusing the APC of manipulation, irregularities and imposition of candidates.
Ekiti aspirant Teju Okuyiga rejected the outcome of the primary, alleging that voting did not take place in many wards and claiming results were allegedly written without proper accreditation or balloting.
She accused party officials of manipulating the process to favour preferred candidates and described the exercise as unfair and undemocratic.
Another aspirant, Victor Kolade, also dismissed the exercise, calling it deeply flawed and disappointing.
Tension also erupted in Ondo State after members of the APC primary committee reportedly disagreed over the declaration of winners. The crisis stalled the announcement of results, with some committee members allegedly returning to Abuja over pressure to endorse consensus candidates linked to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
Party insiders claimed some aspirants earlier disqualified by the APC still participated in the primaries, worsening internal disputes within the party.
In Lagos, House of Representatives aspirant Ademola Amure called for the cancellation of the Epe Federal Constituency primary, alleging violence, intimidation and widespread irregularities during the exercise.
According to him, armed thugs allegedly disrupted voting in some wards, while voters were intimidated and chased away from polling areas.
Meanwhile, results from Osun State were still being collated at the time of filing this report, although some candidates had already emerged through consensus arrangements in different federal constituencies.
The APC is yet to officially release complete nationwide results, while opposition parties including the PDP, Labour Party, ADC and APGA are still preparing for their own primaries ahead of the 2027 general elections.
