2027: Why APC replaced candidates

Facts have emerged on why the All Progressives Congress (APC) replaced some candidates after they had been declared winners of the party’s primary elections held in May in their states.

Political parties conducted their primaries between April 23 and May 30, after which party officials announced the successful candidates across the states.

However, after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) released access codes to political parties on Friday to begin uploading the names of their candidates, many aspirants who had earlier been declared winners discovered that their names had been replaced.

The changes affected constituencies across nine states — Abia, Benue, Ebonyi, Kaduna, Kogi, Kwara, Niger, Ondo and Taraba.

The full list shows that for senate Kogi West: Senator Sunday Karimi replaced Aro Samuel Bamidele; Abia South: Prince Paul Ikonne replaced Edinburgh Uchenna Erondu; Benue North East: Emmanuel Memga Udende replaced Gabriel Suswam; Benue North West: Titus Tartenger Zam replaced Benjamin T. Aber; Taraba North: Shuaibu Isa Lau replaced Mohammed Kabir Bello; Ondo Central: Adeniyi Adegbonmire replaced Taiwo Fasoranti and Ondo North: Olajide Ipinsagba replaced Gbenga Elegbeleye.

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For House of Representatives in Benue, Makurdi/Guma federal Constituency,  Dickson Tarkighir replaced Ikper Chris Terfa; Vandeikya/Konshisha: Sesoo Ikpagher replaced Livinus Tsar Adzor; Kwande/Ushongo: Terser Ugbor replaced Kohol Shedrach Iornem; Buruku: Sekav Dzua Iyortyom replaced Gideon Inyom; Gwer East/Gwer West: Austin Asema Achado replaced Nongo David.

For Gashaka/Kurmi/Sardauna (Taraba): Peter Abel Diah replaced Sanusi Mohammed Galadima; Suleja/Tafa/Gurara (Niger): Abubakar Lado Abdullahi substituted Adamu Tanko; Lavun/Edati/Mokwa (Niger): Adamu Suleiman replaced Adamu Usman; and in Kwara, Ekiti/Irepodun/Oke-Ero: Raheem Tunji Olawuyi replaced Olasumbo Florence Oyeyemi; Edu/Patigi/Moro: Mohammed Mamman substituted Bello Tauheed Abubakar.

Others include Ilaje/Ese-Odo: Donald Ojogo who replaced Akingboye Leke; Idanre: Festus Olarewaju replaced Rasaq Obe;Owo/Ose: Oluwatimehin Akintomide replaced Kayode Ijalana; Okitipupa/Irele: Okunjinmi John Odimayo replaced Olumuyiwa Daramola; Ondo West/Ondo East: Michel Olamidotun Akintomide substituted Abiola Makinde and Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo/Odigbo: Festus Ayodele Adefiranye replaced Oyerinmade Matthew.

For Kaduna North,  Abdulazeez Kaka replaced Samaila Abdu Suleiman. While in Abia State, for Ukwa East/Ukwa West (Abia): Samuel Okezie replaced Chris Nkwonta, and in Ebonyi State, Afikpo North/Edda Ekumankama Joseph Nkama replaced Iduma Igariwey Enwo.

APC’s position

The APC had earlier maintained that its National Working Committee (NWC) has the final authority to determine the party’s candidates.

Our correspondents gathered that, in the process, the party dropped six senatorial candidates from its final list submitted to INEC.

Among those affected was former Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswam, who had contested for the Benue North-East Senatorial District ticket. Also replaced was former member of the House of Representatives, Gbenga Elegbeleye, who had earlier emerged as the APC’s candidate for Ondo North Senatorial District.

INEC documents also show that 19 House of Representatives candidates who emerged victorious during the party’s primaries in May were substituted before the final list was submitted.

Some aggrieved aspirants, who spoke to Daily Trust on condition of anonymity, alleged that they were replaced to accommodate the interests of influential party leaders and senior political office holders.

Others claimed that party officials used the window between the conclusion of the primaries and the submission of candidates’ names to INEC to alter the original list.

Kwara: Primaries create more divisions

Days earlier, 14 prominent APC stakeholders, including serving senators, former governorship aspirants, former lawmakers and senior party leaders, had appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the party’s National Working Committee to intervene in what they described as a deepening internal crisis.

In a resolution issued after a meeting in Abuja, the group called for a comprehensive review of the governorship, National Assembly and State House of Assembly primaries.

The resolution was signed by Senators Saliu Mustapha, Sadiq Umar and Ibrahim Yahaya Oloriegbe and others,

They alleged that some results were declared without proper elections and that certain candidates who participated in the exercises were subsequently replaced.

The stakeholders argued that unless the complaints are addressed, the APC risks entering the 2027 elections divided and politically weakened despite being the ruling party in the state.

Political observers within the party trace the current divisions to the gradual breakdown of the coalition that powered the APC’s historic “O to ge” victory in 2019, which ended the long dominance of the Saraki political structure in Kwara.

Since then, relationships between the governor and several influential figures who played key roles in that political movement have deteriorated, with many former allies accusing the administration of sidelining longstanding party loyalists from government appointments and party affairs.

Also, there are talks around his long-standing cold war among some of the senators.

Among the names repeatedly mentioned is Senator Saliu Mustapha, whose supporters argue that denying him both the governorship ticket and an opportunity to seek another Senate term would amount to ending his political career after only one term.

One of the aggrieved governorship aspirants, Alhaji Muyideen Salako, captured that sentiment in a chat with Daily Trust.

“You didn’t give him the governorship ticket and you also want to deny him the senatorial ticket as a first-time senator. What exactly do you want to happen to him politically?”, he asked.

Similar concerns have also been raised over reports that the state’s three serving senators could be replaced on the APC ticket over disagreement with the governor. Although some of them were not favoured by the zoning arrangement back home, their supporters argued that he should have allowed the people to decide that.

Weeks before the primaries, tensions had already surfaced during the party’s delegate congresses, when protesters stormed the residence of APC Chairman Prince Sunday Fagbemi, alleging irregularities in the compilation of delegate lists.

Although the party dismissed the allegations and proceeded with its timetable, the incident foreshadowed the disagreements that would later engulf the primaries.

An association the The Kaiama Development Association [KDA], strongly condemned what it calls the imposition and announcement of  Saidu Baba Ahmed as the All Progressives Congress [APC] candidate for Kaiama/Baruten Federal Constituency for the 2027 general elections.

The  association in a statement  by its president Alh. Yakubu Salihu said the  announcement was made without consultation with ward leaders, traditional institutions, youth groups, women groups, or development associations across Kaiama and Baruten LGAs. *KDA does not recognize the process, and we do not accept the outcome.*

It called on the APC National and Kwara State leadership to Immediately nullify the substitution and conduct a free, fair, and transparent primary for all aspirants.

Kaduna: Uba Sani’s preferred candidate replaced with Seyi Tinubu’s ally

In Kaduna,  Samaila Audu Sulaiman a former member of the House of Representatives and an ally widely believed to be the preferred candidate of Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, was declared winner of the party’s primary election in the state.

However, following the release of the APC’s final list of candidates for the election, Sulaiman’s name was replaced by his rival, Abdulazeez Kaka, a newcomer to the race.

Kaka is an ally and close associate of President Tinubu’s son, Seyi Tinubu.

His replacement has come as a surprise to many politicians, particularly within the ruling APC, as he is the only candidate among those reportedly nominated by Governor Uba Sani whose name was substituted. Efforts to obtain Sulaiman’s reaction to the party’s decision were unsuccessful, as he did not respond to telephone calls and had yet to reply to a WhatsApp message sent by our correspondent at the time of filing this report.

Benue: Balancing Alia and Akume camps

Our correspondent reports that in Benue State, where a long-running political rivalry exists between Governor Hyacinth Alia and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, many party members believe the substitutions were intended to strike a balance between the two camps.

Suswam’s aide, Bede Bartholomew, when contacted, said his boss is not going to disclose their next move. “Have you seen the letter? Why should we disclose our next move?,” he asked.

Why Ondo APC primary winners were replaced

The APC conducted its National Assembly primary elections in Ondo State between May 16 and 23, 2026.

Following the exercise, some unsuccessful aspirants petitioned the party’s national leadership, alleging that elections did not take place in several local government areas.

Speaking after the Ondo Central Senatorial District primary on May 23, Senator Adeniyi Adegbonmire, who represents the district, alleged that the exercise in his local government area and several polling units was marred by violence.

He claimed that the primary was characterised by thuggery and that many of his supporters were prevented from voting.

In a letter dated June 29, 2026, addressed to the Chairman of INEC, the APC forwarded its approved list of senatorial and House of Representatives candidates.

The letter stated that the final list was compiled after the determination of appeals submitted to the party’s Primary Election Appeal Committees.

Signed by the APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, and the National Secretary, Senator Surajudeen Ajibola Basiru, the letter described the revised list as the party’s final position on the affected constituencies.

The review resulted in significant changes in Ondo State, with two of the party’s three

Attempts by our correspondent to get reactions from Abiola Makinde of Ondo East/Ondo West Federal Constituency for House of Representatives, and Taiwo Fasoranti for Ondo Senatorial central were unsuccessful as they were not responding to Calls nor text messages.

The leadership crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State took a fresh turn on as chairmen of the 18 local government areas in the state formally rejected the National Working Committee’s (NWC) revised National Assembly candidates’ list and appealed directly to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene.

Speaking under the umbrella of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Ondo State chapter, Gbenga Fasua, insisted that the names eventually announced by the party’s national leadership did not reflect the outcomes of the primary elections conducted across the state.

APC: We received over 700 petitions after primaries

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has said the substitution of some candidates followed the determination of petitions filed after the party’s primary elections.

In an official correspondence to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), jointly signed by the APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, and the National Secretary, Senator Surajudeen Ajibola Basiru, the ruling party said the changes were based on the recommendations of its Primary Election Appeal Committee.

According to the party, more than 700 petitions were received from aggrieved aspirants following the conclusion of the primaries nationwide. The petitions were reviewed by the Appeal Committee before the National Working Committee (NWC) ratified the final decisions.

The letter stated “Following the determination of appeals from the recently concluded primary elections, the reports of the Appeal Committee were reviewed, considered and subsequently approved by the party’s NWC as its final position on the affected constituencies.”

The APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, said the party thoroughly examined every petition before arriving at its final list of candidates.

“For those aggrieved, we took our time to undertake a very thorough review of all the petitions that came after the primaries. There were over 700 petitions that were received and properly vetted,” Morka said.

Morka said the petition process had been concluded and that the current list reflected candidates who either emerged unchallenged at the primaries or were affirmed through the appeal process.

“We have gone past that stage. The individuals filling out the forms today are those who emerged originally without challenge, alongside those who emerged victorious out of the appeal process. This stands as the final position of the review,” he said.

How Suswam lost out

Among the prominent politicians affected by the substitutions was former Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswam, who lost the APC ticket for the Benue North-East Senatorial District after initially emerging from the party’s primary election.

The development marks another twist in Suswam’s political career, having lost his bid to return to the Senate in the 2023 general election to the incumbent senator, Emmanuel Udende.

Suswam defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC earlier this year after a brief stint in the African Democratic Congress (ADC). He aligned himself with Governor Hyacinth Alia and secured the APC senatorial ticket during the May 18 primary conducted by the governor’s faction.

Before Suswam joined the APC, the party in Benue was divided into two factions — one loyal to Governor Alia and the other backed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume. Both camps conducted separate primary elections, producing different candidates.

Following petitions challenging the conduct of the primaries, the APC National Working Committee (NWC) reportedly overturned the earlier outcome and restored Udende, an ally of Akume, as the party’s candidate for the 2027 election.

The decision ended Suswam’s brief emergence as the APC’s standard-bearer and reinforced Akume’s influence within the party after months of internal rivalry with Governor Alia.

Suswam’s media aide, Bede Bartholomew, however, dismissed reports that his principal had been replaced.

“It is fake. Nobody is replacing my principal. There is no letter from the national secretariat to support that rumour,” he said.

The restoration of Udende formed part of the review that also reinstated six other candidates believed to be loyal to Akume.

However, the Benue APC Chairman, Chief Benjamin Omale, said the state chapter had yet to receive any official communication from the party’s national headquarters.

It would be recalled that during reconciliation efforts earlier this year, Akume said Tinubu had directed the party to grant automatic return tickets to all serving National Assembly members, while Governor Alia would retain the APC governorship ticket.

Governor Alia, however, rejected the claim, insisting that the resident had directed that all candidates must emerge through transparent primary elections.

Political observers believe the inability of both camps to reach a lasting compromise contributed to Suswam’s loss of the ticket.

‘Candidate substitutions undermine democracy’

Political analysts have criticised the APC’s substitution of candidates, describing the development as a setback for Nigeria’s democracy and internal party governance.

The analysts said the substitutions, which reportedly affected 19 House of Representatives candidates and several senatorial candidates, undermine the credibility of party primaries, weaken public confidence in the electoral process and reinforce the perception that party elites, rather than party members, determine who flies party tickets.

Speaking separately with Daily Trust, Professor Abubakar Kari and Professor Saleh Dauda said that while political parties have constitutional powers to manage their affairs, such powers must be exercised within the law and democratic principles.

Kari described the substitutions as controversial and of doubtful legality, arguing that they undermine the very essence of party primaries.

“It is a very controversial decision and I think it is also of doubtful legality. But even more importantly, it negates the fundamental tenets of democracy because primaries are part and parcel of the electoral process,” he said.

He also alleged that governorship primaries in some instances were conducted without genuine voting or valid consensus arrangements.

“Lists were simply issued of purported winners. That is not how democracy should work,” he said.

Kari argued that the flawed primaries may have made it easier for party leaders to replace candidates afterwards, but insisted that both the conduct of the primaries and the subsequent substitutions amount to a serious assault on democracy.

Professor Saleh Dauda also described the substitutions as an act of impunity.

“It shows impunity on the part of the party. There is no moral justification for allowing primaries to take place. Then, after people have purchased nomination forms and gone through the rigours of the primaries, all of a sudden, you change them. There is no explanation for that,” he said.

He argued that if there were genuine grounds to disqualify any aspirant, such action should have been taken before the primaries rather than afterwards.

He added that only legally recognised grounds, such as conviction or constitutional disqualification, should warrant the replacement of a candidate.

“I was surprised that even after the primaries, the Senate President was still making pleas for some senators to be given the party tickets. It raises questions about whether there had always been plans to substitute some candidates,” he said.

Lawyer faults candidate substitutions

A Kano-based constitutional lawyer, Barrister Umar Usman Danbaito, said political parties no longer have the legal authority to substitute candidates who emerge from valid primary elections.

Speaking with Daily Trust, Danbaito explained that although political parties once enjoyed wide discretion in choosing candidates, subsequent Supreme Court decisions had significantly limited those powers.

He recalled that in 1983, the Supreme Court held in the case of Onuoha v. Okafor that political parties could field candidates of their choice regardless of the outcome of their primaries. That was the position of the law then,” he said.

Revised NASS list may cost Tinubu chances in Ondo — Analyst

A political analyst, Olumuyiwa Asagunla, director of Mandate Group, has Condemned the inability of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to build sustainable cohesion with the various organs of the party, saying he is currently incapable of delivering Ondo State for the APC in the upcoming 2027 presidential election.

He alleged that most of the candidates substituted were  endorsed by the governor, saying he is not greater than the party structure that produced him.

However, Demola Ijabiyi, a stakeholder in APC Ondo called on aggrieved members of the party to accept the decision of the National Working Committee (NWC) on the National Assembly candidates’ list and desist from protests capable of deepening divisions within the party.

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