The outcome of the recently concluded All Progressives Congress National Assembly primaries has sparked widespread complaints, with several defectors from the Peoples Democratic Party, Labour Party and other opposition parties reportedly submitting petitions to the APC National Assembly Primary Election Appeal Committee.
The APC held its nationwide primaries between May 16 and May 23, 2026, beginning with House of Representatives contests and ending with the presidential primary, to nominate candidates for the 2027 general elections.
However, the exercise has generated protests from many aspirants who lost out, particularly serving members of the National Assembly who defected to the ruling party after winning their seats on the platforms of opposition parties.
Reports indicate that more than 120 members of the Senate and House of Representatives defected from the parties that brought them into the National Assembly. Many of them sought APC tickets to return to office but failed to secure the party’s nomination.
Among those affected are Hon. Nicholas Mutu, who represents Bomadi/Patani Federal Constituency of Delta State and had defected from the PDP after serving seven terms in the National Assembly; Hon. Mike Etaba of Obubra/Etung Federal Constituency, Cross River State; and Hon. Ngozi Okolie of Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency, Delta State, who left the Labour Party for the APC.
Others include Hon. Esosa Iyawe of Oredo Federal Constituency, Edo State; Hon. Matthew Nwogu of Aboh Mbaise/Ngor Okpala Federal Constituency, Imo State; Hon. Mansur Musa Jega of Jega/Gwandu/Aleiro Federal Constituency, Kebbi State; and Hon. Bassey Akiba of Odukpani/Calabar Municipality Federal Constituency, Cross River State.
Also listed among defectors who lost APC tickets are Hon. Daniel Asama of Jos North/Bassa Federal Constituency, Plateau State; Hon. Ajang Iliya of Jos South/Jos East; and Hon. Donatus Mathew, the former commercial motorcyclist who won the Kaura Federal Constituency seat in Kaduna State on the Labour Party platform in 2023 before defecting to the APC in December 2024.
In the Senate, Senator Ned Nwoko of Delta North, who dumped the PDP for the APC, lost the party’s ticket, as did Senator Neda Imasuen of Edo South, who was elected on the Labour Party platform in 2023 before joining the APC.
Several aspirants were also disqualified before the primaries. They include Hon. Awaji-Inombek Abiante of Andoni/Opobo/Nkoro Federal Constituency, Hon. Boma Goodhead of Akuku-Toru/Asari-Toru Federal Constituency, retired Air Commodore John Azubuike Opara, and Anderson Allison Igbiki, all from Rivers State.
Senator Benson Agadaga of Bayelsa East, who defected from the PDP to the APC, and Senator Garba Maidoki of Kebbi South were also reportedly disqualified.
Although Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara said he voluntarily withdrew from the APC governorship primary after obtaining the party’s ₦50 million nomination form and undergoing screening, his withdrawal has continued to generate political debate.
Fubara said he stepped aside not out of weakness or fear, but as a sacrifice for peace and unity in Rivers State.
However, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, said the governor ought not to have purchased the APC nomination form in the first place, claiming there had been an earlier agreement that impeachment proceedings would be dropped while Fubara would not seek a second term.
The outcome of the primaries has renewed debate over the use of consensus and direct primaries under the Electoral Act 2026.
Some aspirants and analysts alleged that the two recognised methods were abused by party stakeholders to shut out unwanted aspirants, especially defectors.
Under Section 87 of the Electoral Act, a political party that adopts a consensus candidate must secure the written consent of all cleared aspirants, indicating their voluntary withdrawal and endorsement of the consensus candidate.
Where such written consent is not obtained, the party is expected to revert to direct primaries.
However, some aggrieved aspirants alleged that the consensus option was used to impose preferred candidates, while the direct primaries were marred by irregularities, intimidation and manipulation.
Senator Ned Nwoko accused APC leaders of deception, saying he was promised an automatic return ticket before defecting from the PDP to the ruling party.
Nwoko lost the Delta North APC senatorial ticket to former Delta State governor and former PDP vice-presidential candidate, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa.
Speaking during an interview, Nwoko said he would not have left his former platform without assurances of a secure political arrangement.
“I certainly was told before I came into the party that there would be an automatic ticket for me. Why would I just leave my previous platform like that without making sure I have a secure ride? That promise was broken basically because it wasn’t an automatic ticket; you had to compete for it,” he said.
He also claimed that he and others were promised a restructuring of the Delta APC executive structure, but that the promise was not fulfilled after the exit of former APC National Chairman, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje.
The APC had declared Okowa winner of the Delta North senatorial primary with 113,309 votes, while Nwoko was credited with 2,612 votes.
Nwoko and his legal team rejected the outcome, describing the exercise as a “theatre of manipulation, intimidation and vote-buying.” He also claimed that his camp had video evidence and ward-level result sheets showing that he won across 98 wards in Delta North.
In Cross River State, some defeated incumbents who defected from the PDP and Labour Party to the APC also rejected the outcome of the primaries, describing the process as a “charade.”
They accused the APC leadership in the state of violating the Electoral Act and the party’s constitution, insisting that the exercise denied aspirants equal opportunity.
Hon. Esosa Iyawe, who lost the APC ticket in Oredo Federal Constituency, Edo State, also rejected the outcome, alleging widespread irregularities, inconsistencies and violence.
He said the process fell short of the standards earlier directed by President Bola Tinubu, who, according to him, had emphasised that direct primaries must be free, fair and transparent.
Iyawe alleged that several of his supporters were disenfranchised, assaulted and prevented from participating freely, particularly in parts of Oredo West.
He further alleged that 10 of the 12 wards in the constituency adopted a consensus arrangement without the voluntary withdrawal of all aspirants, contrary to the Electoral Act.
Hon. Nicholas Ossai, who lost the APC ticket for Ndokwa/Ukwuani Federal Constituency after defecting from the PDP, also petitioned the APC National Assembly Primary Election Appeal Committee, describing the process as unconstitutional and alleging that eligible party members were disenfranchised.
Most of the aggrieved aspirants have now submitted petitions to the APC National Assembly Primary Election Appeal Committee and are awaiting the outcome of their complaints.
The post “Promised Automatic Tickets, Left Empty-Handed” — Aggrieved NASS Aspirants Flood Appeal Committee With Petitions After Primary Losses appeared first on TheNigeriaLawyer.
