The race toward Nigeria’s 2027 general elections took a dramatic turn on Monday as the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) held senatorial primaries across the country, producing a mix of political upsets, consensus nominations and controversies that exposed deep internal realignments within the party.
Several prominent politicians, including former governors and serving political heavyweights, either lost their bids, stayed away from the contest or were edged out through consensus arrangements, while others emerged with decisive victories.
In one of the biggest surprises, former governors Gbenga Daniel and Ibikunle Amosun were absent from the primaries in Ogun State, effectively crashing out of the senatorial race. In Ogun State, Governor Dapo Abiodun emerged victorious in Ogun East, while Senator Shuaib Salisu clinched the Ogun Central ticket and Jimoh Ojugbele secured Ogun West through consensus.
In Imo State, Governor Hope Uzodimma defeated former governor Rochas Okorocha in the Imo West senatorial primary, polling 230,464 votes against Okorocha’s 1,098.
Former Kogi State governor Yahaya Bello also staged a strong political comeback, winning the APC ticket for Kogi Central with 72,399 votes. His victory marked one of the standout outcomes of the nationwide exercise.
In Delta State, the primaries delivered another major upset as former governor Ifeanyi Okowa defeated incumbent Senator Ned Nwoko for the Delta North ticket. In Delta Central, incumbent Senator Ede Dafinone defeated former Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege, though Omo-Agege rejected the result and claimed victory.
Several senior APC leaders emerged through consensus or affirmation processes. These included Senate President Godswill Akpabio in Akwa Ibom North West, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele in Ekiti Central, and Senator Ali Ndume in Borno South.
In Lagos State, all three incumbent senators — Tokunbo Abiru, Wasiu Eshilokun-Sanni and Idiat Adebule — retained their tickets through internal consensus, a strategy party officials said was adopted to maintain cohesion ahead of 2027.
The exercise was not without controversy. In Rivers State, Senator Ipalibo Banigo protested her disqualification from the primaries, describing the action as unjust and calling for intervention from President Bola Tinubu.
Ahead of the primaries, the APC screening committee disqualified 44 aspirants nationwide, triggering widespread protests and allegations of manipulation. Among those initially listed as not cleared was former senator Ben Murray-Bruce, although his name was later removed from an updated list released by party spokesman Felix Morka.
In several states, especially Kwara State and Edo State, the process was marred by confusion, rival claims and accusations of pre-arranged outcomes. The Kwara Central race drew particular attention after reports that Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq was unexpectedly challenged by Senator Saliu Mustapha despite earlier claims he was the sole cleared aspirant.
Overall, the APC primaries underscored the growing intensity of political manoeuvring ahead of the 2027 elections, with consensus deals, internal power struggles and high-profile defeats reshaping the party’s senatorial landscape across multiple states.
