Winning an APC primary in May did not guarantee anyone a place on the party’s final candidate list — and for 25 of those winners, that lesson has now arrived in the most direct way possible.
The All Progressives Congress has dropped former Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswam and five other senatorial candidates from the list it submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission for the 2027 general elections.
The party also removed 19 House of Representatives candidates who had won their primaries in May 2026.
The changes were communicated in a formal letter to INEC signed by APC National Chairman Professor Nentawe Yilwatda and National Secretary Ajibola Basiru.
The letter, titled “Forwarding of approved list of senatorial and House of Representatives candidates,” covered seven senatorial districts and 19 House of Representatives constituencies across nine states: Abia, Kogi, Taraba, Benue, Ebonyi, Ondo, Kaduna, Niger, and Kwara.
Suswam — a two-term former governor of Benue State and veteran of the Nigerian Senate — was among the most prominent names on the dropped list.
His removal reflects how consequential the APC’s internal appeals process has been in reshaping the candidate lineup before submissions close.
Appeals Process Behind the Cuts, Party Says
The APC was explicit about the reason for the changes. Its letter to INEC stated that the substitutions arose directly from the work of its Primary Election Appeal Committee.
“Following the determination of appeals from the recently concluded primary elections, the reports of the Appeal Committee were reviewed and subsequently considered and approved by the party’s NWC as its final position on the affected constituencies,” the letter read.
APC National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka confirmed the scale of internal dissatisfaction, revealing that the party had received more than 700 petitions from aggrieved members following the May primaries.
Despite that volume of complaints, Morka said the party’s immediate focus was not public disclosure.
“Although we will eventually release the list, our immediate priority is to ensure that our candidates complete their forms and meet INEC’s deadline. This is more important to us than the public release of the candidates’ list.”
He added reassuringly: “Those who are our candidates have, by now, received their forms. They already know themselves; there is no tension about that.”
High-Profile Names Confirmed on APC’s Approved Lists
While some candidates were dropped, the party’s submission to INEC also confirmed a long list of prominent figures who retained their spots. Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Deputy Senate President Senator Jibrin Barau, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, Senate Chief Whip Mohammed Monguno, and former Edo State Governor Senator Adams Oshiomhole have all received their Candidate Affidavit Forms (EC9).
Four sitting state governors are also among the APC’s uploaded candidates: AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara, Hope Uzodimma of Imo, Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa, and Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe.
In Kaduna State, former Governor Mukhtar Yero, Senator Shehu Sani, and Senator Sunday Katung have all been cleared for Senate contests. Former Kogi Governor Yahaya Bello — currently facing a high-profile corruption trial — secured the APC ticket for the Kogi Central Senatorial District and is included among the party’s 109 senatorial candidates.
For the House of Representatives, Speaker Abbas Tajudeen, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, Mudashiru Obasa, and James Faleke are among those flying the APC flag.
