APC House of Reps Primaries: Drama, Deals, and Disqualifications Nationwide

By: Abudu Olalekan

The APC’s hunt for House of Representatives candidates turned into a real rollercoaster this past weekend. Picture this: voting materials hijacked, tempers flaring, and some big names suddenly out of the race. All this just months before the 2027 general elections.

Now, Reportersroom dug into what happened across the country. We’ll give it to you straight, state by state—what went down, who’s in, and who got left out.

First up, Rivers State. Things got heated in Ogu/Bolo. Voting was late starting, and when it finally did, Ward 3 became a mess. One agent, Caleb Iwarisi-mama, was fuming. He claimed the other side had a dodgy voters’ list. “A lot of our people showed up and their names just… weren’t there,” he told us. That sparked a protest. Officials couldn’t even prove who they were when challenged. Then, bang—disruption. Voting stopped for a while in Ward 3. Ward 2 saw some physical clashes too. It was ugly, though other wards kept things peaceful.

Benue State was another headache. The big story? Election materials just didn’t show up—or they were grabbed. For places like Makurdi/Guma, supplies were intercepted. One party faction blamed another loyal to a powerful bloc. It got so tense it went to the police command before some materials were finally recovered. Voters waited for hours. The state party spokesman, Daniel Ihomun, basically admitted it: materials were hijacked and delayed. He mentioned some areas might just go with consensus instead.

In Edo, though? Smooth sailing. Seriously. The party’s preferred candidates sailed through in all 18 local governments. It was more of a victory lap than a contest. In Akoko-Edo, the party chairman, Monday Oseh, said it was all calm. Their guy, Oladele Bankole-Balogun, won with over 3,300 votes. Over in Etsako, the favored candidate, Anamero Dakeri (everyone calls him Danco), was declared the winner too. No drama there.

Ekiti gave mixed vibes. Lots of women showed up to vote across the 177 wards, but there were hiccups—violence in spots, delays, some officials just not showing up. One hopeful, Yemi Olayinka, felt the heat. He said his people were intimidated. “They tried to pressure our supporters, but they still came out,” he said after voting in Ado Ekiti. The incumbent, Olusola Fatoba, who was leading, dismissed that. “People voted freely,” he insisted.

Kwara State? Peaceful. The party’s deputy spokesman, Durosinmi Meseko, credited the leadership’s push for unity. Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq used the moment to tout his administration’s work in infrastructure and education.

Oyo was also calm and orderly, the party declared. Seventy-four hopefuls went at it across 14 federal constituencies.

Lagos, however, was anything but. Wards in Lagos Mainland—think Apapa Road, Makoko—were hotspots. There were allegations of delegates being bullied out of voting centres. Party member Kayode Olaiya said supporters of one aspirant forced out delegates loyal to another, Abdulhakeem Animashaun. Animashaun’s team pointed fingers at the local government chairman. The big claim? Official party cards weren’t even checked during accreditation. One protester just said it plainly: “We reject the outcome. The whole thing was manipulated.” On a different note, the Speaker of the Lagos State Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, got the Agege seat unopposed. Easy win for him.

Down in Akure, aspirant Bamidele Ologunloluwa alleged voting just didn’t happen in parts of Akure South. “If there’s no election in one place, how can you have a winner?” he asked. He’s confident he would’ve won the wards where voting did occur.

Anambra State kept it tight. Security was heavy, and the 27 aspirants had a peaceful run across 326 wards. The election had been rescheduled from Friday, but Saturday went off without a hitch.

In Sokoto, it was mostly consensus. Ten candidates in eleven constituencies were affirmed by delegates. Only Yabo/Shagari actually held a vote.

Cross River saw a full-on competition with 44 aspirants. Party boss Christopher Eta said they stuck to direct primaries as ordered, even where candidates dropped out.

Delta’s results were a win for the status quo. Most sitting lawmakers, like Ramson Onoyake and Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu (the former governor’s daughter), kept their seats.

Big news from the national party: they released a list of aspirants “not cleared” to run. The statement, from spokesman Felix Morka, didn’t give reasons. The list hits several states—Ondo, Bauchi, Ebonyi, Kogi, and Rivers. Names like Boma Goodhead in Rivers and Idu Igariwe in Ebonyi are on it.

In Delta, former Minority Leader Ndudi Elumelu got his ticket for Aniocha/Oshimili, beating the incumbent who’d beaten him when he was with the other party.

Plateau was frustrating. Voting materials were just… late. People waited for hours in empty centres. At 3 p.m., materials were still sitting at the state secretariat.

Borno was peaceful. Governor Babagana Zulum praised the orderly process after supervising in Magumeri.

In Kaduna, Speaker Abbas Tajuddeen coasted to victory unopposed for Zaria. He pulled 930 votes.

A major upset in Edo: the House Majority Leader, Professor Julius Ihonvbere, lost his bid for a third term. He was beaten by Andrew Ijegbai, the former mining commissioner. The seat now goes back to Owan East, following an old rotation agreement.

Ogun had upsets too. Four serving members lost their tickets, including the well-known Abiodun Akinlade. The wins went to others like Afolabi Afuape and Funmi Efuwape, who unseated an incumbent. One ward in Abeokuta South had issues, with aspirant Tolulope Philips alleging there was no proper accreditation.

Finally, in Oyo, a party leader emphasized the need for unity after the contests, urging everyone to rally behind the winners. That’s the spirit the party hopes will carry them forward, after a weekend that was anything but calm.