—Barau, Bello, Oshiomhole, Kalu, others clinch return tickets
—Jack-Rich, Banigo, Danagogo, 41 others disqualified
The All Progressives Congress, APC, senatorial primaries across the country, yesterday, produced high-profile winners and losers, amid disqualifications, protests, consensus arrangements and allegations of manipulation.
The party barred no fewer than 44 senatorial aspirants from participating in the primaries, including Rivers politician, Tein Jack-Rich, Senator Ipalibo Banigo and former Rivers Head of Service, Tammy Danagogo.
However, the APC reinstated former Bayelsa East senator, Ben Murray-Bruce, after initially listing him among aspirants not cleared for the exercise.
The updated list released by APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, showed that Rivers recorded one of the highest numbers of disqualifications, while Zamfara State produced the largest bloc of barred aspirants.
It was a day leading lights of the 10th Senate, such as Senate President Godswill Akpabio; his deputy, Jubrin Barau; Opeyemi Bamidele, Orji Uzor Kalu, Adams Oshiomhole, Ede Dafinone, and Ali Ndume, among others, secured return tickets via consensus or victory. Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma (Imo West) and former Senate President, Ahmad Lawan (Yobe) also won.
In Kogi Central, former Governor Yahaya Bello secured a landslide victory, polling 72,399 votes to defeat his challengers across the five local government areas of the district.
But in Kogi East, Senator Jibrin Isah rejected the outcome of the primary after losing his return ticket, accusing Governor Ahmed Ododo’s camp of hijacking materials and frustrating his supporters.
“The battle line has been drawn,” he declared, vowing to challenge Ododo in the governorship race.
In Delta, Senator Ede Dafinone defeated former Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, in Delta Central, while former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa trounced incumbent, Senator Ned Nwoko, in Delta North.
APC heavyweights also secured tickets in other states. Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, emerged Kano North candidate unopposed, while former Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, clinched Borno South ticket by consensus.
In Abia North, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu secured a landslide victory with 65,651 votes, while Chief Erondu Uchenna Erondu emerged APC candidate for Abia South.
Similarly, Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, secured the Ekiti Central ticket unopposed ahead of a third-term bid.
In Edo South, Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama defeated Senator Neda Imasuen and Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, though parallel results later emerged declaring Ize-Iyamu winner, deepening controversy around the exercise.
In Ogun State, Governor Dapo Abiodun prevailed in Ogun East after supporters of his main challenger and incumbent, Senator Gbenga Daniel, withdrew over alleged insecurity threat.
In Kwara Central, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and incumbent Senator Saliu Mustapha engaged in a fierce two-horse race, with party stakeholders openly backing the governor.
At several wards in Ilorin East and Ilorin West, supporters trooped out in large numbers for AbdulRazaq, while some wards reportedly returned zero votes for Mustapha.
Elsewhere, APC adopted consensus arrangements in Sokoto, Kebbi, Niger and Zamfara, where serving senators, including Aliyu Wamakko, Abdulaziz Yari, Sani Musa and Adamu Aliero, secured return tickets.
In Cross River, the three serving senators — Asuquo Ekpenyong, Eteng Williams and Jarigbe Agom — all secured return tickets through affirmation.
Despite complaints in some states, APC leaders described the primaries as largely peaceful, transparent and reflective of the party’s growing internal cohesion ahead of the 2027 general elections.
APC bars Jack-Rich, 43 others; reinstates Murray-Bruce
Updating its earlier list of 47 axed aspirants, the APC in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka, saying the screening was conducted by the party’s screening committees in accordance with established procedures and guidelines.
The party deleted the names of former Bayelsa East Senator, Ben Murray-Bruce, Anambra North aspirant Chimzobam Kingsley Nnalue from the “not cleared” list.
Dropped from the official document are Murray-Bruce, who had been listed for Bayelsa East; Nnalue, listed for Anambra North; and Gyang Yaya Zi San (Plateau North).
Rivers State recorded the highest number of disqualifications, with five aspirants from the West Senatorial District alone failing to make the cut — among them Tein Jack-Rich, Dr. Tamunobaabo Wenike Danagogo, Oyukaye Amachree and Banigo Ipalibo — while Chief Barry Balera Mwara was disqualified from the South/East Senatorial District.
Zamfara State returned the single largest bloc of disqualifications, with seven aspirants knocked out across the Central, North and West senatorial districts.
Bayelsa State accounts for two confirmed disqualifications on the official document — Senator Benson Agadaga from the East Senatorial District, who is listed as a voluntary withdrawal, and Donald Daunemigita from the West, also listed as a voluntary withdrawal — with Murray-Bruce’s status now unclear following his omission from the updated list.
Ipalibo Harry slams APC screening committee, rejects disqualification.
Former deputy governor of Rivers state and serving senator, Dr. Ipalibo Harry Banigo has slammed the APC screening committee for disqualifying her from seeking a re-election to represent Rivers West.
Ipalibo decried that at a time when advocacy for more women in elective positions was becoming intense, experienced women in the 10th senate should be given a level playing ground to represent their people in the national politics.
She urged the national leadership of the party to show fairness, equity and be gender sensitive, appealing that “we have only four women in the 10th senate. This is a time we are seeking to have more women in higher political positions.”
Meanwhile, Wike’s henchmen, Prince Felix Obua, Senator Allwell Onyesoh, Barry Mwara and Osarosaka Ebenezer of Rivers West and South respectively are expected to have easy clearance to contest on the platform of the party.
Sadly, all senatorial aspirants from Rivers west, particularly of the Kalabari riverine dichotomy were inexplicably disqualified.
