APC Removes Six Senatorial, 19 Reps Candidates From Final INEC List
The National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has removed former Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswam, and five other senatorial aspirants from the party’s final list of candidates submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Also dropped from the list is former House of Representatives member, Gbenga Elegbeleye, alongside several other aspirants.
The revised list submitted to INEC also excludes 19 House of Representatives aspirants who emerged winners during the APC primary elections held in May 2026.
According to the document forwarded to the electoral commission, the affected constituencies are spread across Abia, Kogi, Taraba, Benue, Ebonyi, Ondo, Kaduna, Niger and Kwara states.
In a letter jointly signed by APC National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, and National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, the party said the changes followed the recommendations of its Primary Election Appeal Committee.
The letter, titled “Forwarding of Approved List of Senatorial and House of Representatives Candidates,” stated:
“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.
“Following the determination of appeals from the recently concluded primary elections, the reports of the Appeal Committee were reviewed and subsequently considered and approved by the party’s NWC as its final position on the affected constituencies.
“In accordance with the amended Electoral Act 2022 and INEC’s regulations and guidelines, we hereby transmit the enclosed list of the approved candidates for seven senatorial districts and 19 House of Representatives constituencies for your records and necessary action. Please accept the assurances of our highest regards.”
Meanwhile, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, Senate Chief Whip Mohammed Monguno and former Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole have received their Candidate Affidavit Forms (EC9).
The APC also uploaded the names of four serving governors cleared to contest Senate seats. They are AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq (Kwara), Hope Uzodimma (Imo), Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa) and Inuwa Yahaya (Gombe).
Others cleared to contest Senate seats include former Kaduna State Governor Mukhtar Yero, Shehu Sani and Sunday Katung in Kaduna State, while former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello secured the party’s ticket for Kogi Central Senatorial District.
The submission of candidates’ particulars followed the ratification of the party’s primary election results and a review based on the recommendations of the Primary Election Appeal Committee in line with INEC guidelines.
For the House of Representatives, Speaker Abbas Tajudeen, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, Mudashiru Obasa and James Faleke are among the APC candidates.
INEC has fixed June 27 to July 10 for political parties to upload the names and particulars of their presidential and National Assembly candidates through its Candidate Nomination Portal.
Commenting on the process, APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, disclosed that the party received more than 700 petitions from aggrieved members over the primaries.
He, however, said the party’s immediate focus was ensuring candidates completed their documentation before INEC’s deadline.
“They are to complete and return the forms to the party for upload to the INEC portal, so, making the list public is not our priority now.
“Although we will eventually release the list, our immediate priority is to ensure that our candidates complete their forms and meet INEC’S deadline.
“This is more important to us than the public release of the candidates’ list. Those who are our candidates have, by now, received their forms. They already know themselves, there is no tension about that,” Morka said.
(NAN)
