APC retains Akpabio, 4 Govs for Senate race
By Omeiza Ajayi
ABUJA — The All Progressives Congress (APC) has confirmed the retention of Senate President Godswill Akpabio among its candidates for the upcoming 2027 general election. Akpabio’s nomination, along with several other seasoned lawmakers, has been processed through the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) candidates’ nomination portal.
Sources indicate that Akpabio, Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, Senate Chief Whip Mohammed Monguno, and former Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole have all received the necessary Candidate Affidavit Form. Their details have been uploaded to INEC’s portal.
Additionally, the party has cleared four incumbent governors to pursue senatorial seats. These governors include AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq from Kwara State, Hope Uzodimma from Imo State, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri from Adamawa State, and Inuwa Yahaya from Gombe State.
In Kaduna State, former Governor Mukhtar Ramalan Yero, along with Senators Shehu Sani and Sunday Marshall Katung, has also received clearance to represent the APC in the Senate race. Meanwhile, former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello is now the APC’s candidate for the Kogi Central Senatorial District.
The nominees are part of a total of 109 senatorial candidates whose information is being submitted to INEC. Party insiders noted that this ongoing submission follows the ratification of April’s primary elections and the subsequent review of nominations in accordance with the Primary Election Appeal Committee’s recommendations and INEC guidelines.
For the House of Representatives, prominent figures such as Speaker Abbas Tajudeen, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, James Abiodun Faleke, and Mudashiru Obasa are also having their nominations processed.
INEC opened its online nomination portal for political parties on June 27, with the submission window set to close on July 11. The commission requires the submission of Form EC-9C, which includes candidates’ personal details, accompanied by Forms EC9A to EC9E, listing nominated candidates and other requisite documentation.
In related developments, the APC has made significant alterations to its National Assembly candidates’ list, replacing former Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswam, former House member Gbenga Elegbeleye, and others due to the outcomes of appeals from the primary elections.
These changes were communicated to INEC in a letter signed by APC National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda and National Secretary Ajibola Basiru. The party’s National Working Committee approved these substitutions after considering the recommendations from the Primary Election Appeal Committee.
Beyond the Senate, the APC has replaced 19 House of Representatives candidates across various states, including Benue, Kogi, Ondo, Taraba, Niger, Kwara, Kaduna, Abia, and Ebonyi. The party asserted that the updated list constitutes its final decision regarding constituencies implicated by petitions and appeals following the primary elections.
Major shifts include Emmanuel Memga Udende replacing Gabriel Suswam as the APC candidate for Benue North East, and Olajide Ipinsagba taking over from Gbenga Elegbeleye in Ondo North. Other notable substitutions include Sunday Karimi replacing Aro Samuel Bamidele in Kogi West, Prince Paul Ikonne succeeding Edinburgh Uchenna Erondu in Abia South, and Titus Tartenger Zam replacing Benjamin T. Aber in Benue North West, among others.
Benue State recorded the highest number of changes in the House of Representatives category, with five constituencies seeing new candidates. Further substitutions have also occurred across Taraba, Niger, Kwara, Ondo, Kaduna, Abia, and Ebonyi.
The APC emphasized that these replacements adhere to the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 (as amended) and abide by INEC’s regulations governing candidate nominations.