By Ebiere Kekeboro
A New wave of crisis have emerged within the All Progressives Congress following sweeping revisions to the outcomes of its National Assembly primaries, a move that has triggered internal resistance, deepened factional divides, and ignited fresh litigation ahead of the 2027 general elections
The crisis, which cuts across multiple states, follows the replacement of several candidates earlier declared winners of the party’s primaries, with at least 26 aspirants losing their tickets after the intervention of powerful party figures, including state governors and members of the National Working Committee.
Among those affected are former Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswam, and former House of Representatives member, Gbenga Elegbeleye, both of whom failed to make the final list submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Party insiders disclosed that the revisions were largely influenced by political realignments and power struggles within the APC, particularly at the state level, where governors and influential stakeholders reportedly pushed for their preferred candidates.
In Benue State, the political rivalry between the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, and Governor Hyacinth Alia was said to have played a decisive role in Suswam’s removal. The development, sources said, was aimed at consolidating the governor’s influence over the party’s structure in the state.
A similar scenario played out in Ebonyi State, where the renewed alliance between Governor Francis Nwifuru and the Minister of Works, David Umahi, reportedly led to the substitution of Iduma Igariwey Enwo with Joseph Nkwamma as the party’s candidate.
The changes, approved by the APC National Working Committee, affected candidates in seven senatorial districts and 19 House of Representatives constituencies across Benue, Ondo, Kogi, Abia, Taraba, Niger, Kwara, Kaduna and Ebonyi states.
The revised list was subsequently forwarded to INEC in a joint letter signed by the APC National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, and the National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru.
Defending the decision, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, said the substitutions were based on recommendations from the Primary Election Appeal Committee.
He said, “We took our time to undertake a very thorough review of all the petitions that came after the primaries. There were over 700 petitions, and they were properly vetted. Some were successful and some were not. Those that were successful led to corrections in some constituencies.
“The appeal process has been concluded, and the candidates currently completing INEC documentation represent the APC’s final list.”
Key alterations include the emergence of Senator Emmanuel Memga Udende as the candidate for Benue North-East, replacing Suswam, while Titus Tartenger Zam clinched the Benue North-West ticket in place of Benjamin Aber.
In Ondo State, Elegbeleye lost the Ondo North senatorial ticket to Olajide Ipinsagbe, while Adeniyi Adegbonmire replaced Taiwo Fasorati in Ondo Central. In Kogi West, Senator Sunday Karimi replaced Aro Samuel Bamidele, while Prince Paul Ikonne emerged as the candidate for Abia South, displacing Uchenna Erondu.
Despite the party’s position, the revisions have been met with stiff resistance, particularly in Abia State, where the APC chapter openly rejected the new list.
In a statement issued by the state spokesman, Uche Aguoru, the Abia APC insisted on retaining the original candidates produced from the primaries, including Erondu and Chris Nkwonta, whose names were substituted in the national list.
The state chapter also recognised Eric Opah as its governorship candidate and listed Orji Uzor Kalu, Emeka Atuma, and Erondu as its senatorial flag bearers.
“The Abia APC congratulates all winners of the governorship and National Assembly primaries conducted by the party’s National Working Committee,” the statement read, adding that the exercise was “transparent, credible and fair.”
Further complicating matters, the Special Adviser on Media and Communication Strategy to the APC National Chairman, Abimbola Tooki, denied claims that the party officially released a comprehensive list of candidates.
According to him, “The list emanated from the NWC and was sent to the various states. The NWC did not release any list on its own,” dismissing allegations of secrecy and manipulation.
Meanwhile, the crisis has spilled into the courts, with the Federal High Court in Abuja fixing July 6 for the hearing of a suit challenging the outcome of the APC senatorial primary for Delta South.
The suit, filed by Prince Michael Diden, contests the declaration of Senator Joel Onowakpo as the winner of the May 18 primary.
At the proceedings, Diden’s counsel, Bankole Joel Akomolafe (SAN), told the court that the defence had only recently been served, necessitating time to file a response.
Presiding judge, Justice Mohammed Garba Umar, subsequently adjourned the case to July 6, directing all parties to regularise their filings before the hearing.
Diden is asking the court to declare him the rightful winner of the primary, claiming he secured 96,893 votes against Onowakpo’s 31,918 votes.
He alleged that the defendant “manipulated the outcome by announcing forged results,” contrary to the directive of the party’s National Working Committee, which stipulated that results should be collated and announced in Abuja.
The plaintiff further urged the court to compel the APC to submit his name to INEC as its authentic candidate for the 2027 Delta South Senatorial District election.
Despite the controversies, the APC has proceeded with the submission of candidates’ details to INEC through its nomination portal, which opened on June 27 and is expected to close on July 11.
Prominent figures whose nominations have been processed include Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, and former Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole.
The party has also cleared four serving governors , AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, Hope Uzodimma, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, and Inuwa Yahaya, to contest senatorial seats.
As the deadline for submissions approaches, political observers warn that the growing internal disputes could undermine party cohesion and affect its electoral prospects if not urgently resolved.