A fresh crisis is brewing within the All Progressives Congress (APC) following its revised list of National Assembly candidates submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as aggrieved aspirants head to court and stakeholders push for fresh representation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Despite the growing tensions, the APC has described the development as an internal matter, assuring that it is being handled within party structures.
Former senator representing Ekiti North, Ayo Arise, revealed that he had approached the court to challenge the outcome of the APC senatorial primary in his district, insisting that he lawfully won the exercise.
Arise said his decision to initiate legal action immediately after the primary was guided by the timelines set out in the Electoral Act, noting that he was not surprised when his name was eventually omitted from the party’s final list.
“I went ahead and filed my case in court because I knew what was coming. That is why I was not surprised at the outcome. This is not about me; it is about ensuring that we have a system that works for everybody,” Arise said.
He added that the judiciary would now determine whether the party adhered to its own guidelines, expressing confidence that he would reclaim his ticket based on what he described as a decisive victory.
In Ondo State, stakeholders in Okeigbo, Ile-Oluji/Okeigbo Local Government Area, have demanded a new representative for the Ile-Oluji/Okeigbo/Odigbo Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, citing years of poor representation and lack of development.
Their position was conveyed in a statement issued in Abuja by Fayemisi Tosin, an APC chieftain, who said growing dissatisfaction among constituents had intensified calls for a lawmaker capable of attracting federal projects and giving the constituency a stronger voice in the National Assembly.
Tosin noted that many residents who had high expectations when the incumbent lawmaker assumed office now believe those expectations have not been met. She cited poor infrastructure, limited federal presence, youth unemployment, and the absence of impactful constituency projects, including the deteriorating Okeigbo-Ifetedo Bridge linking Ondo and Osun states.
The stakeholders declared their support for Simisola Fajemirokun-Ajayi, who contested the APC House of Representatives primary for the constituency, urging the party’s national leadership to recognise her as the rightful candidate.
The unrest follows sweeping changes made by the APC to its National Assembly candidate list, which saw the replacement of several aspirants, including former Benue State governor, Gabriel Suswam, and former House of Representatives member, Gbenga Elegbeleye, after appeals from the party’s primaries.
The changes were conveyed to INEC in a letter jointly signed by APC National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, and National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru. The party said the substitutions were approved by the National Working Committee (NWC) after reviewing recommendations from the Primary Election Appeal Committee.
Beyond the Senate, the party also replaced 19 House of Representatives candidates across Benue, Kogi, Ondo, Taraba, Niger, Kwara, Kaduna, Abia, and Ebonyi states, with Benue recording the highest number of changes.
Reacting to the development, APC chieftain Cletus Obun warned against the substitution of candidates who did not participate in valid primaries monitored by INEC.
“If anybody anywhere in the party wants to undo the party by sabotaging it using this level of subterfuge of importing candidates, then we will look at him and know that he is just nothing but a saboteur,” Obun said.
He referenced the Zamfara State precedent, where the APC lost all elective positions in court after fielding candidates who did not emerge from valid primaries, cautioning against a repeat of such errors.
Obun, who disclosed that he lost out during the appeal process in Cross River State despite decades of party loyalty, described himself as “very, very injured” by the outcome but reaffirmed his commitment to the party.
He called for the immediate establishment of a reconciliation committee to address growing discontent among party members nationwide, warning that unresolved grievances could pose serious risks ahead of the 2027 elections.