APC Primaries Shake House of Reps as Over 50 Powerful Lawmakers Lose Return Tickets

Ahead of the 2027 general elections, the All Progressives Congress, APC, primaries have triggered a political earthquake within the House of Representatives, with more than 50 serving lawmakers either losing their return tickets or opting out of the race entirely.

The development signals one of the biggest shakeups in the history of the Green Chamber, with several influential lawmakers, ranking members and long-serving legislators pushed out during the party’s nationwide primaries.

Among the most notable casualties is House Majority Leader, Professor Julius Ihonvbere, who lost the APC ticket for Owan Federal Constituency in Edo State after finishing third in the primary election. Veteran lawmaker Nicholas Mutu, who has represented Bomadi/Patani Federal Constituency in Delta State since 1999, also failed to secure a return ticket.

Other prominent lawmakers who lost out include Yusuf Adamu Gagdi of Plateau State, Mike Etaba of Cross River, Abiodun Omoleye of Ekiti, and several serving lawmakers from Ogun, Rivers and Delta states.

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Despite the heavy losses, some top-ranking members survived the primaries. Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, and Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, secured their return tickets alongside several other incumbents in Borno and Cross River states.

The primaries also exposed growing internal tensions within the ruling party, with aspirants in states such as Ondo, Ekiti and Lagos rejecting results over alleged irregularities, imposition of candidates and manipulation of delegate lists.

In Ondo State, disagreements among members of the APC primary election committee reportedly stalled the official declaration of some results, while several aspirants accused party leaders of attempting to impose consensus candidates.

Similarly, in Lagos State, House of Representatives aspirant Ademola Amure described the Epe Federal Constituency primary as “shambolic” and fraudulent, alleging voter intimidation and violence during the exercise.

Political observers say the scale of the losses reflects intensifying power struggles within the APC as governors, party leaders and emerging political blocs move aggressively to reshape the composition of the next National Assembly before the 2027 elections.