Aggrieved aspirants caution APC over candidates’ replacement
Aspirants who lost out in the final list of All progressives Congress (APC) candidates for various positions have called on the party to tread with caution or risk losing its reputation as a united political party. Reports indicate that the APC has since Monday morning started issuing nominations forms obtained from the Independent National Electoral […]
Aspirants who lost out in the final list of All progressives Congress (APC) candidates for various positions have called on the party to tread with caution or risk losing its reputation as a united political party.
Reports indicate that the APC has since Monday morning started issuing nominations forms obtained from the Independent National Electoral Commission to its candidates to fill and in the process it was discovered that those whose names were initially announced as winners were replaced with others.
Our correspondents report such cases in states like Kwara, Ondo, Benue, Kaduna and Kogi States.
Tinubu’s intervention sought in Kwara
Our correspondent in Kwara State reports that while the governorship candidate of the party was given the nomination forms, none was extended to the senatorial candidates as there are conflicting reports over who are the authentic candidates of the APC in the three senatorial zones.
Stakeholders in the party had on Monday, called on the national leadership of the party to review developments within the party, including the conduct and outcome of the governorship and legislative primaries, while advocating a transparent and inclusive process capable of strengthening party unity.
The controversy followed the dramatic developments during the APC governorship primary.
Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq had initially announced Ambassador Yahaya Seriki as the party’s consensus governorship candidate; a move that was rejected by several aspirants and stakeholders, particularly from Kwara North.
Earlier after the primaries of the party, Senator Lola Ashiru was the one for Kwara South; Saliu Mustapha, Kwara Central and Umar Sadiq for Kwara North.
The trio were among the signatories to a resolution by aspirants over the choice of the governorship candidate of the party.
Unconfirmed reports however indicate that the names of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, Prince Olalekan Adewoye and Dr Mohammed Umar Mahamud have been submitted by the APC as replacements for the serving senators representing Kwara Central, Kwara South and Kwara North, respectively.
If confirmed, the development would see Governor AbdulRazaq replacing Senator Saliu Mustapha, Adewoye replacing Senator Lola Ashiru and Mahamud replacing Senator Sadiq Umar.
However, Daily Trust could not independently verify the claims before the filing of this report Tuesday night.
Kwara APC chairman, Prince Sunday Fagbemi, said the presentation of forms marked the final stage of the party’s internal process after the national leadership concluded deliberations on petitions arising from the primaries.
He explained that although candidates had emerged for the governorship, National Assembly and State House of Assembly elections during the party primaries, the state chapter was directed not to formally announce them until the National Working Committee concluded its review.
“The National Working Committee has gone through all the processes, especially the complaints submitted by aspirants. Those who had complaints ventilated them before the Appeal Committee, which also completed its assignment.
“The NWC has now cleared the candidates, and it is our responsibility to present the nomination forms for completion before they are uploaded to the INEC portal. Today, we are presenting the governorship nomination form to Rt. Hon. Yakubu Salihu Danladi on behalf of the National Chairman of our party,” Fagbemi said.
Responding, Danladi described the presentation as a collective victory for the APC and pledged to work towards uniting all tendencies within the party.
Attempts by Daily Trust to obtain the reaction of some of the aggrieved stakeholders to Tuesday’s development were unsuccessful.
Akume’s candidates having upper hand in Benue
In Benue State, loyalists of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, have reportedly reclaimed the APC tickets for the 2027 National Assembly elections after the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) reversed the outcome of the May primaries following a successful appeal.
Our correspondent reports that the decision reversed the earlier declaration of former Benue State Governor, Senator Gabriel Suswam, and retired Customs officer, Benjamin Aber, as winners of the Benue North East and Benue North West senatorial primaries, respectively.
With the ruling, incumbent Senator Titus Zam was restored as the APC candidate for Benue North West (Zone B), while Senator Emmanuel Udende reclaimed the party’s ticket for Benue North East (Zone A) ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The NWC also ruled on appeals arising from the House of Representatives primaries, affirming Sesoo Ikpagher as the APC candidate for Vandekiya/Konshisha Federal Constituency against Dr Livinus Adzor, Dickson Tarkighir for Makurdi/Guma against Chris Terfa, and Terseer Ugbor for Kwande/Ushongo against Kohol Iornem.
Similarly, Sekav Iyortyom replaced Gideon Inyom as the party’s candidate for Buruku Federal Constituency, while Asema Achado replaced Nongo David for Gwer East/Gwer West Federal Constituency after their appeals were upheld.
The latest development overturns the outcome of the primaries conducted on May 18, in which Zam was declared to have lost to Benjamin Aber, while Udende was defeated by former Governor Gabriel Suswam.
Reacting to the development, Zam, in a statement posted on his verified Facebook page, said the party’s National Appeal Committee found merit in his petition challenging the primary election results.
Senator Udende’s media aide, Jerry Iorngaem, confirmed that the APC had restored his principal’s candidacy.
“Yes, it’s true. He has already completed the filling of the INEC forms and submitted them,” Iorngaem said.
However, the Benue APC Chairman, Chief Benjamin Omale, said the state chapter was yet to receive any official communication from the party’s national headquarters.
“The truth of the matter is that we have not received any correspondence from the national secretariat, so we cannot confirm it. Wait for an official statement from the headquarters so you can be sure it is authentic,” Omale said.
Ondo: Protest as 2 Senate candidates , 8 reps replaced
The list of candidates in Ondo State were reviewed. In a letter dated June 29, 2026, addressed to the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), signed by the APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, and the National Secretary, Senator Surajudeen Ajibola Basiru, stated that the reviewed list represented the final position of the party on the affected constituencies after the reports of the appeal committees were considered and approved by the National Working Committee in line with the Electoral Act and INEC guidelines.
The review produced major changes in the state, with the party replacing two of its three senatorial candidates and all six House of Representatives candidates affected by the appeals.
For the Senate, Senator Adeniyi Adegbonmire (SAN) replaced Dr Taiwo Fasoranti as the APC candidate for Ondo Central Senatorial District, while Senator Olajide Ipinsagba emerged in place of Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye for Ondo North Senatorial District. The Ondo South Senatorial ticket was unaffected by the review with Hon. Kekemeke as candidate.
For the House of Representatives, Hon. Donald K. Ojogo replaced Mr. Akingboye Leke for Ilaje/Ese Odo Federal Constituency, while Hon. Festus Olarewaju Akingbaso displaced Hon. Rasaq Obe in Idanre/Ifedore Federal Constituency.
The NWC also substituted Hon. Kayode Adejana with Hon. Dr. Oluwatimehin Adelegbe for Owo/Ose Federal Constituency and replaced Hon. Olumuyiwa Daramola with Hon. Okunjimi John Odimayo for Okitipupa/Irele Federal Constituency.
Similarly, Dr Abiola Makinde lost the APC ticket for Ondo East/Ondo West Federal Constituency to Hon. Dr. Michael Olamidotun Akintomide, while Oyerinmade Matthew was replaced by Hon. Festus Ayodele Adefiranye as the party’s candidate for Ile Oluji/Okeigbo/Odigbo Federal Constituency.
The extensive substitutions make Ondo one of the states most affected by the APC’s post-primary appeal process, effectively overturning the outcomes of several constituency primaries conducted earlier by the party.
One of the excluded candidates for the House of Representatives ticket for Idanre/Ifedore Federal Constituency, Razaq Obe, appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene in the controversy surrounding the alleged substitution of candidates’ names on the revised list of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State.
Obe, whose name was reportedly replaced with that of Festus Adefiranye despite emerging from the party’s primary and appeal processes, warned that allowing the revised list to stand would subject the APC to ridicule and undermine democratic principles within the party.
Speaking in Akure, Obe questioned the legality of the alleged substitutions, insisting that candidates who emerged through the party’s primary elections and appeal process had already been duly submitted to Independent National Electoral Commission.
“Whatever error that has been made by anyone, perhaps if the so-called document is a true document, the President will kick in to redress that.”
He argued that disputes arising from party primaries were expected to be concluded within the stipulated timeline, stressing that any review carried out after the submission of candidates to INEC would be unlawful.
“By the stipulated deadline, our names went through the normal election committee, the appeal committee and were submitted to the party, which in turn forwarded them to INEC. So, you cannot come and do a review afterward. That’s illegal,” he said.
Obe maintained that the Electoral Act does not permit political parties to substitute candidates whose names have already been forwarded to the electoral body after due process has been completed.
Obe warned that the APC risked damaging its reputation if the alleged alterations were allowed to stand, saying, “In a way, it will subject the party to ridicule. APC will be purchasing its own death in instalments by allowing itself to drift in this direction.”
He said the growing wave of protests across Ondo State reflected the anger among party members over the alleged substitutions, noting that demonstrations had continued in several local government areas with supporters demanding that the outcome of the primaries be respected.
He called on President Tinubu, APC leaders and other stakeholders to intervene.
Kaduna: Uncertainty over Kaduna North Reps ticket
In Kaduna, uncertainty continues over the APC’s candidate for the Kaduna North Federal Constituency.
One group maintains that Samaila Sulaiman won the party’s primary election, and on Monday, Governor Uba Sani was seen presenting him with what supporters described as his nomination form.
However, another list reportedly linked to the APC identifies Abdulazeez Kaka as the party’s candidate for the constituency.
Efforts to obtain comments from both Samaila Sulaiman and Abdulazeez Kaka were unsuccessful. Neither responded to WhatsApp messages sent seeking their clarification before publication.
A former speaker of the State House of Assembly, Yusuf Zailani, who contested against Shehu Sani for the Kaduna Central senatorial seat, said he would not leave over the party’s ongoing nomination process, which favoured Shehu Sani as the party’s candidate.
“I saw on social media that forms had been issued, but there is no official confirmation of what type of forms they are,” he said.
The former speaker maintained that political office is ultimately determined by God, not by party processes alone.