The All Progressives Congress (APC) Senate primaries conducted on Monday recorded a blend of celebration and disappointment across the country, as influential politicians and grassroots contenders competed for the party’s tickets ahead of the 2027 elections.
According to reports by Daily Trust, the primaries produced surprising outcomes, with some political heavyweights emerging victorious while others suffered major defeats.
Among those who secured tickets were top-ranking Senate officials. Senate President Godswill Akpabio won the Akwa Ibom North West senatorial ticket with 121,425 votes.
Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau was confirmed as the APC candidate for Kano North during a consensus arrangement attended by thousands of party faithful and officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele also secured victory in his senatorial primary.
Barau appreciated party members for their support, noting that the endorsement showed confidence in his leadership qualities. INEC officials also commended the orderly conduct of the exercise.
Governors Secure Senatorial Tickets
Several serving governors also emerged victorious in the APC primaries.
Imo State governor Hope Uzodinma defeated former governor Rochas Okorocha by polling 230,464 votes against 1,098.
Gombe State governor Inuwa Yahaya emerged unopposed as the consensus candidate for Gombe North.
Kwara State governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq and Ogun State governor Dapo Abiodun also won their respective primaries.
Retired Rear Admiral Williams Kayode, who announced Uzodinma’s victory, described the process across the 12 local government areas as transparent and credible.
Kaduna Primaries Produce Key Winners
Kaduna State witnessed intense competition during the APC Senate primaries.
Former governor Ramalan Yero clinched the Kaduna North ticket with 6,060 votes, defeating Muhammad Mu’azu Mukaddas and Yusuf Bala Ikara.
For Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani emerged victorious with 9,105 votes. He thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Kaduna governor Uba Sani for their support.
Meanwhile, Sunday Marshall Katung secured the Kaduna South ticket, with local leaders describing the result as a reflection of the wishes of grassroots party members.
Delta Records Major Upsets
Delta State witnessed some of the biggest surprises during the primaries.
Former Delta governor Ifeanyi Okowa defeated serving senator Ned Nwoko with 4,462 votes against only three votes.
In Delta Central, Ede Dafinone defeated former Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege by scoring 116,252 votes compared to 3,643.
Consensus Candidates Emerge in Other States
In Kebbi State, Senators Muhammad Adamu Aliero, Abdullahi Yahaya, and Jafar Muhammad Gajere emerged as consensus candidates after other aspirants stepped down.
Similarly, in Borno State, incumbent senators Ali Ndume, Mohammed Tahir Monguno, and Kala Shehu Lawan were affirmed unopposed.
In Edo North, former Edo governor Adams Oshiomhole returned unopposed with 24,284 votes.
Bauchi State also produced winners as former House of Representatives members Ibrahim Muhammad Baba and Yakubu Shehu Abdullahi secured the North and South senatorial tickets respectively.
Reports indicated that several aspirants voluntarily withdrew from the races, while others failed to scale through the APC screening process.
Heavyweights Who Lost Out
Among the notable losers were Ovie Omo-Agege and Ned Nwoko, both of whom failed to secure the APC senatorial tickets despite their political influence.
Observers noted that the results reflected the unpredictable nature of the APC primaries, where consensus arrangements, withdrawals and direct voting all played major roles in deciding the winners.
The APC Senate primaries ultimately highlighted the party’s internal political dynamics, producing both expected victories and shocking upsets across several states.
