By Our Reporters
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, and his deputy, Hon. Benjamin Kalu have won the primaries of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to seek reelection into the House in the 2027 general election.
The Speaker, who first entered the House of Representatives in 2011 and became Speaker of the 10th Assembly in 2023, was the sole aspirant cleared for the contest.
A former Minority Leader of the House, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu also won the APC primary in Delta State.
Yusuf Buhari, son of the late former President Muhammadu Buhari emerged winner of the primary for Sandamu/Daura/Mai’adua Federal Constituency in Katsina State.
He secured 6,386 votes to defeat his opponent, Auwal Daura, son of the former Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Lawal Musa Daura, who polled 322 votes in the exercise.
Abbas emerged unopposed as the APC candidate for Zaria Federal Constituency in Kaduna State following an affirmation exercise held across the 13 electoral wards in the constituency.
Kalu emerged the candidate of the party for Bende Federal Constituency in Abia State.
Kalu’s third term bid received a boost, when party members from the 13 wards that make up the constituency unanimously affirmed his candidacy.
Mr Pascal Okechukwu, a.k.a. The Cubana Chief Priest also lost the primary election for ticket for Orsu/Orlu/Oru East federal constituency in Imo State.
Meanwhile, APC has released the names of House of Representatives’ aspirants who were screened but disqualified from participating in yesterday’s primary election
Its National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, in a tweet on the official party’s X handle yesterday said the screening exercise was conducted by the party’s screening committees in line with established procedures and guidelines.
He, however, failed to specify the grounds for disqualification of the 14 aspirants.
In Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency of Delta State, Elumelu was declared the winner after collation at the constituency centre in Oshimili South Local Government Secretariat.
Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and Deputy Governor Monday Onyeme, lauded the peaceful conduct of the House of Representatives primary elections of the APC across constituencies in the state.
In Rivers, the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, a strong ally of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, won the House of Representatives primaries for Obio/Akpor Federal Constituency to APC’s flag in the 2027 general election.
Also in Oyo State, the Chairman of APC House of Representatives’ Primaries Committee, Prof. Mojeed Alabi, described the exercise across the 14 federal constituencies as peaceful, transparent and credible.
He made the disclosure during a news conference held at the Oke-Ado secretariat of the APC in the state.
In Ondo State, discordant voices trailed yesterday’s exercise following widespread allegations of irregularities.
Speaking at Ward 5, an aspirant, Hon. Adeola Fynch, described the process as transparent and orderly.
But a party chieftain, who spoke on condition of anonymity, sharply criticised the process, particularly the timing of the release of screened and disqualified aspirants.
Addressing journalists in Ilorin during the APC primaries, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State stated that the ruling APC in the state built a responsible government and delivered meaningful development across the state since assumption of office.
In Katsina State, the members of the House of Representatives loyal to Governor Dikko Umaru Radda, emerged as consensus candidates of the party.
The lawmakers, Hon. Abdullahi Aliyu Ahmed and Hon. Muhammad Aminu Ibrahim were unanimously affirmed during separate APC consensus exercises held in Musawa and Malumfashi Local Government Areas of the state.
Governor Radda, who witnessed the exercises, praised party members and stakeholders for their unity, discipline, and commitment to peaceful consensus arrangements during the primaries.
Meanwhile, Ebonyi State Governor, Chief Francis Nwifuru has dismissed speculations that there some members of the APC conducted parallel primary during the House of Representatives primaries in the state.
Speaking to journalists after the distribution of election materials at the APC office in Abakaliki, Governor Nwifuru noted that there was only one Congress committee officially sent by the National leadership to conduct all the primaries in the state.
APC also conducted primaries in Kogi State, despite some dissenting voices.
Reports from the nine federal constituencies’ headquarters indicated that the conduct of the primary election was relatively peaceful in almost all the wards.
However there were some dissenting voices claiming that there were no election materials in some wards. Unofficial report indicated that the incumbent member representing the Federal constituency, Hon. Leke Abejide scaled through the primary election and picked a ticket.
In Kogi East, the member representing Dekina/Bassa Federal Constituency, Hon. Gowon Haruna also picked the ticket to recontest his seat at the green chamber of the National Assembly.
However, in Zamfara State, the party has rescheduled the National Assembly primary elections.
Its National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka in a statement issued yesterday said the House of Representatives primary election will now take place on Monday, May 18, 2026; while the Senate election would take place on Tuesday, May 19, 2026 and House of Assembly will be held on Wednesday, May 20, 2026.
Morka stressed that the primary election for governorship would take place on Thursday, May 20, 2026.
Meanwhile, APC has commended the Enugu State chapter of the party for what it described as free, fair, credible, and exemplary House of Representatives’ primary elections in the state.
This was even as Governor Peter Mbah joined other party faithful in Owo Ward, Nkanu East LGA, to affirm the member representing Nkanu East/Nkanu West Federal Constituency, Hon. Nnolim Nnaji, who was the only aspirant standing for the primary election, as the party’s House of Representatives candidate in the 2027 general election.
In Ogun State, the son of the former Governor of the state, Chief Olusegun Osoba, Hon. Olumide Osoba, who is seeking to return to the National Assembly for the fourth time, was among those who secured the party’s tickets.
Osoba, who was returned unopposed, has been representing Obafemi Owode/Abeokuta North/Odeda Federal Constituency in Ogun Central Senatorial District in the last 10 years.
