The ruling All Progressives Congress is facing growing unrest after chaotic House of Representatives primaries left at least 26 serving lawmakers without return tickets ahead of the 2027 elections.
Across several states, angry aspirants accused the party of manipulation, imposed candidates, fake consensus arrangements, and widespread irregularities, with many now threatening legal action.
One of the biggest shocks came in Edo State, where House Leader Julius Ihonvbere lost his ticket and immediately rejected the outcome.
“I did not lose the election,” Ihonvbere declared, insisting the results were fabricated. He vowed to challenge the outcome through the party’s appeal process.
In Rivers State, tensions deepened as several aspirants linked to Governor Siminalayi Fubara were disqualified, while figures believed to be loyal to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike were cleared by the party.
Party insiders claimed the screening exercise was being used to settle political scores ahead of 2027.
The primaries also sparked outrage in Ogun, Ekiti, Plateau, Lagos, and Kwara states, where aspirants alleged intimidation, fake vote counts, violence, and voter suppression.
In Plateau State, the crisis turned deadly after a resident was reportedly killed during clashes linked to delayed APC primaries in Mangu Local Government Area.
Several lawmakers openly challenged the credibility of the process. Ekiti aspirants described the exercise as “a disgrace to democracy,” while Lagos aspirant Remi Oluwalogbon-Odunsi rejected results circulating online, insisting they did not reflect actual voting.
In Ogun State, lawmaker Isiaka Ibrahim accused Governor Dapo Abiodun of imposing candidates through an “affirmation” process instead of conducting real primaries.
Meanwhile, powerful political camps battled for dominance in Benue, Rivers, Lagos, and Kogi, with consensus deals and internal alliances deciding many outcomes before voting even began.
Despite the backlash, the APC leadership maintained that the screening and primaries followed party guidelines, though dissatisfaction continues to spread across several states.
