The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, on Saturday, May 16, 2026, was returned unopposed as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Zaria Federal Constituency in the 2027 general election, in a primary exercise that formed part of the APC’s nationwide House of Representatives primaries conducted across the 360 federal constituencies of the country amid a mixed bag of unopposed returns, decisive contests, surprise upsets, allegations of imposition, violence, protests and hijacked election materials.
The APC had earlier disqualified 14 aspirants from contesting the primaries across Ondo, Bauchi, Ebonyi, Kogi and Rivers states, with the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Felix Morka, disclosing the disqualifications in a statement issued on Saturday and saying the aspirants failed to scale the screening exercise conducted by the party’s screening committees.
Speaker Abbas Returned Unopposed In Zaria
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, was returned unopposed through an affirmation by registered members of the APC in the 13 electoral wards of Zaria Federal Constituency. The exercise, which took place at the 13 electoral wards simultaneously, began at about 10 a.m. and witnessed a large turnout of APC members in a peaceful atmosphere.
At the Speaker’s Kwarbai B Ward, Malam Iliyasu Muhammad Balarabe, the APC returning officer for the ward, informed the gathering that, based on the document handed to him by the national leadership of the APC, there was only one aspirant who purchased a form and was cleared for the Zaria Federal Constituency. When he called for affirmation, all the cleared APC members for Kwarbai B affirmed Abbas Tajudeen as the party’s candidate, and the exercise followed a similar pattern at the remaining 12 electoral wards.
At the collation centre for the Zaria Federal Constituency, the APC Returning Officer for the Zaria Federal Constituency for the party’s primary elections into the House of Reps, Dr. Hamisu Ibrahim Kubau, announced that a total of 1,376 APC members across the 13 wards affirmed Speaker Abbas as the party’s flagbearer.
He said: “There are 13 wards in Zaria Federal Constituency, and there is only one person who bought a form, screened, and cleared. He is Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen. To fulfill all the requirements, we went to all the wards and conducted affirmation. INEC officials and party officials are here. The exercise was conducted peacefully.
“Thousands of party faithful gathered, but we only counted 1,376. I hereby announce Dr. Abbas Tajudeen as the APC flagbearer for Zaria Federal Constituency. I, Dr. Hamisu Ibrahim, hereby certify that the information contained in this document is correct. Congratulations!”
In his goodwill message, the chairman of the APC House of Reps primary elections in Kaduna State, Senator Yakubu Oseni, said based on the outcome of the primary, Speaker Abbas is loved by his people, describing him as a leader with listening ears and expressing optimism that he would easily win at the general elections.
The exercise was monitored and observed by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Speaker Abbas thanked APC members in Zaria Federal Constituency for affirming him as the party’s candidate, assuring them of better days as their representative and calling on them to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR; Governor Uba Sani and all the candidates of APC during the 2027 general elections. “My best days as your representative are ahead,” Abbas said.
Other Kaduna Winners
The APC on Saturday also declared winners of its House of Representatives primaries across Kaduna State, with party officials saying the exercise followed the party’s constitution and guidelines. Yakubu Hosseini, chairman of the APC primary election committee, announced results at the party secretariat in Kaduna.
Other declared winners included Amos Gwamna Magaji for Zango Kataf/Jaba (consensus, 1,930 votes); Samaila Abdul Suleiman for Kaduna North (3,049 votes, with Abdulaziz Abubakar Kaka scoring 65 and Abubakar Mahmoud 96); Benjamin Gugong for Kaura (1,085 votes, defeating Donatus Mathieu with 255 votes); Mukhtar Zakari Chawai as consensus candidate for Kauru (1,750 votes); Felix Joseph Bagudu for Chikun/Kajuru (1,580 votes); Daniel Amos for Jema’a/Sanga; Gabriel Saleh for Kagarko/Kachia; Sadiq Ango Abdullahi, son of elder statesman Ango Abdullahi, for Sabon Gari (920 votes); Muhammad Jallo for Igabi (1,171 votes); and Bashir Suleiman Zuntu for Ikara/Kubau (1,787 votes).
Hosseini said each declared candidate “satisfied the requirements of the APC Constitution and Guidelines” before being returned as winners. Kaduna State APC chairman Atiku Sankey accepted the results and declared the exercise concluded.
Deputy Speaker Kalu Returned Unopposed In Bende
The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, was on Saturday returned as the candidate of the APC for Bende Federal Constituency ahead of the 2027 general elections unopposed.
Kalu was returned through a pronouncement by the APC registered members in the 13 electoral wards of Bende Federal Constituency, namely Bende, Itumbuzo, Uzuakoli, Umuhu, Ozuitem, Umeimenyi Nkpa, Igbere A, Igbere B, Item A, Item B, Item C, Alayi and Ugwueke Ezeukwu.
Party stakeholders, ward executives, and delegates across the constituency commended Kalu’s leadership, legislative performance, and commitment to grassroots development, describing his unopposed emergence as a reflection of the confidence reposed in him by members of the APC and constituents alike.
Speaking after the affirmation of his candidacy, Kalu expressed gratitude to party faithful, community leaders, youths, women groups and his constituents for their continued support and trust, reiterating his commitment to delivering more democratic dividends, promoting inclusive governance, and advancing policies that would improve the welfare and economic opportunities of the people of Bende.
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