APC replaces ex-Benue governor, 25 others on final INEC candidates’ list

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has dropped former Benue State governor Gabriel Suswam, former House of Representatives member Gbenga Elegbeleye and 24 other National Assembly aspirants from its final list of candidates submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The changes, approved by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), affected seven senatorial districts and 19 House of Representatives constituencies across Benue, Ondo, Kogi, Abia, Taraba, Niger, Kwara, Kaduna, and Ebonyi states.

The revised list was transmitted to INEC in a joint letter signed by APC National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda and National Secretary Ajibola Basiru.

According to the party, the substitutions followed the recommendations of its Primary Election Appeal Committee after a review of petitions arising from the recently concluded primaries.

“We write to formally forward the attached list of the party’s candidates for the affected senatorial and House of Representatives constituencies arising from the report of the Primary Election Appeal Committee,” the letter stated.

It added that the Appeal Committee’s recommendations were reviewed, considered and approved by the NWC as the party’s final position on the affected constituencies.

The APC said the substitutions were made in line with the Electoral Act 2022 (as amended) and INEC’s regulations and guidelines.

Among the major changes, the serving senator for Benue North East, Emmanuel Memga Udende, replaced Gabriel Suswam, while Titus Tartenger Zam took the Benue North West ticket in place of Benjamin T. Aber.

In Ondo State, Gbenga Elegbeleye lost the Ondo North senatorial ticket to Olajide Ipinsagbe, while Adeniyi Adegbonmire replaced Taiwo Fasorati as the party’s candidate for Ondo Central.

Other senatorial changes saw Senator Sunday Karimi replace Aro Samuel Bamidele in Kogi West, Prince Paul Ikonne emerge for Abia South in place of Edinburgh Uchenna Erondu, and Shuibu Isa Lau replace Mohammed Kabir Bello in Taraba North.

The review also resulted in widespread changes to the party’s House of Representatives candidates. Benue recorded five substitutions, while six federal constituency candidates were replaced in Ondo, including Donald Ojogo, who emerged for Ilaje/Ese-Odo, and Festus Olarewaju, who secured the Idanre ticket.

Further substitutions were made in Taraba, Niger, Kwara, Kaduna and Ebonyi as the ruling party concluded its post-primary review ahead of the 2027 general elections.

We reviewed over 700 post-primary petitions – Spokesman

Earlier, the party said it reviewed more than 700 petitions arising from its April primaries, with the exercise resulting in changes to the party’s candidates in some constituencies ahead of the submission of names to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, disclosed this in a telephone interview, saying the review process had been concluded and the candidates currently completing INEC nomination documentation represent the APC’s final list.

“We took our time to undertake a very thorough review of all the petitions that came after the primaries. There were over 700 petitions, and they were properly vetted,” Morka said.

“Some were successful and some were not. Those that were successful led to corrections in some constituencies. Those that were not meant that those earlier declared were retained. In a few cases, there were upsets based on the outcome of the petitions and decisions were made on them,” he said.

Morka said the party had now moved beyond the appeals stage and was focused on ensuring its candidates complete the documentation required by INEC before the deadline.

“We have gone past that. The people filling the forms today are those who emerged originally without challenge and those who emerged through the appeal process. This is the final position of the review,” he stated.

He explained that the APC’s immediate priority was not the public release of its candidates’ list but the completion of INEC Form EC9 by all successful candidates.

“The people who emerged as the candidates of the party are being provided with the relevant forms for documentation. They are to fill and return them to the party for uploading to the INEC portal,” he said.

Morka added that although the party would eventually publish its final list of candidates, meeting INEC’s nomination deadline remained paramount.