70 Shocking loss: How 70 Sitting Lawmakers Stumbled in APC Primaries Chaos -

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A major political earthquake has rocked the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the upcoming general elections. Early collated results from the National Assembly (NASS) primary elections indicate that no fewer than 70 members of the party’s 330 serving lawmakers will not be returning to their seats.

The APC currently holds a dominant position in parliament with 242 members of the House of Representatives and 88Senators. However, intense grassroots anger, political realignments, and systematic disqualifications have decimated the ranks of seek-re-election legislators.

Timeline of the Legislative Primaries Crisis

The path to the primary elections was marked by strict legal deadlines and mounting operational tensions:

[May 10, 2026: Membership Register Lapsed] ───► Absolute deadline for internal party registry.
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[May 16-18, 2026: Legislative Primaries] ─────► Voting proceeds amid widespread irregularities.
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[May 19, 2026: 70 Lawmakers Stumble] ─────────► Collation confirms massive waves of defeats.
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[May 20, 2026: Appeal Committees Meet] ───────► Over 5 formal petitions submitted in Delta alone.

High-Profile Upsets and Key Casualties

The primaries proved to be a slaughterhouse for both veteran politicians and high-profile defectors who recently crossed over to the ruling party:

State	Lawmaker	Affected Seat	Primary Status / Fate
Kaduna	Rep. Donatus Matthew	Kaura Federal Constituency	Disqualified during screening
Benue	Sen. Emmanuel Udende	Benue North-East	Defeated by Gabriel Suswam
Benue	Sen. Titus Zam	Benue North-West	Defeated by Benjamin Aber
Delta	Sen. Ned Nwoko	Delta North	Results disputed / pending NWC
Ogun	Sen. Gbenga Daniel	Ogun East	Lost / Stepped down
Imo	Sen. Osita Izunaso	Imo West	Lost primary bid

The Defector Dilemma: LP Cross-overs Disqualified

Headline-grabbing casualties include Rep. Donatus Matthew (popularly known as the “Okada Rider”), who made waves when he defected from the Labour Party (LP) to the APC. Matthew was disqualified during the screening process by the APC hierarchy.

Other high-profile former LP lawmakers who jumped ship only to lose their APC tickets include:

Sen. Neda Imasuen (Edo South)
Rep. Esosa Iyawe (Oredo Federal Constituency)
Rep. Tochukwu Okere (Imo)
Rep. Bassey Akiba (Cross River)

Violence and Chaos: Ondo Senator Escapes Death

In Ondo State, the primaries descended into physical violence. Senator Adeniyi Adegbonmire, SAN, representing Ondo Central, narrowly escaped death after armed political thugs invaded his polling unit at Okilisa Ward $5$ in Akure.

Eyewitnesses reported that as counting commenced—showing Adegbonmire in a comfortable lead with approximately $400$ supporters queued behind him—gunmen stormed the venue, firing sporadically and targeting the Senator’s personal vehicle.

“Voting started peacefully, but when it became glaring that we were leading, thugs invaded the place, started shooting in the air, and even shot at my car.” — Sen. Adeniyi Adegbonmire, SAN

The exercise was temporarily halted after security operatives intervened to evacuate the lawmaker. Nearby primary schools also witnessed panic as parents rushed to withdraw their children to avoid stray bullets.

State-by-State Breakdown of Key Conflicts

1. Delta: The NWC vs. State Collation Centers

A major administrative conflict has broken out between the national leadership and state chapters. APC National Secretary Ajibola Basiru criticized state primary committees for declaring winners directly from local collation centers in defiance of direct orders. The party maintains that while collation can occur locally, final victory announcements must exclusively take place at the National Headquarters in Abuja to allow for dispute reviews.

2. Benue: Former Governor Suswam’s Landslide Comeback

In Benue North-East, former Governor Gabriel Suswam staged a stunning comeback, pulling a massive $131,083$ votes to utterly crush incumbent Senator Emmanuel Udende, who scraped together just $1,374$ votes. Meanwhile, retired Assistant Comptroller of Customs Benjamin Aber upset incumbent Senator Titus Zam in Benue North-West, scoring $93,412$ votes to Zam’s third-place finish of $2,763$ votes.

3. Taraba: Incumbents Hold the Line

In Taraba South, incumbent Senator David Jimkuta successfully defended his ticket, securing $29,880$ votes to defeat his challengers. In Taraba Central, incumbent Senator Haruna Manu advanced unopposed after his primary rival, Babangida Nguroje, stepped down.

4. Kogi & Zamfara: Protests Over Impositions

In Abuja, Kogi Central stakeholders flooded the APC National Secretariat to protest former Governor Yahaya Bello’s participation in the senatorial primary, claiming he was never cleared by the party’s screening committee.

In Zamfara State, senatorial aspirant Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi warned that the party is heading toward a repeat of its 2019 legal disaster, when the Supreme Court nullified all APC victories in the state due to illegal candidate impositions.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Why are so many sitting APC lawmakers losing their return tickets?

Many lawmakers fell victim to a combination of grassroots unpopularity, party structural changes, and the strict guidelines of the updated Electoral Act. Because the party’s official membership registers lapsed on May 10, 2026, defeated aspirants cannot defect to other parties to pursue their 2027 ambitions, leaving them completely shut out.

What is the dispute over who announces the primary results?

The APC National Working Committee (NWC) directed that all final winners must be announced at the national headquarters in Abuja. This directive was bypassed by several state primary committees, who announced winners directly on the field. The party’s national secretariat is currently reviewing these cases to resolve disputes before making official proclamations.

How did former Labour Party (LP) defectors fare in the APC primaries?

They suffered catastrophic losses. Multiple lawmakers who defected from the LP to the APC—including high-profile figures like “Okada Rider” Rep. Donatus Matthew and Senator Neda Imasuen—were either disqualified during screening or soundly defeated by entrenched APC politicians in their respective constituencies.

What are the legal risks facing the APC in Zamfara State?

Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi has warned of a “2019 repeat.” In 2019, the Supreme Court disqualified the entire Zamfara APC catalog of candidates due to flawed, undemocratic primary selections, handing all elective positions over to the opposition party. Legal analysts warn that current attempts to impose “anointed” candidates could trigger the same legal penalty.

Follow our legislative desk for ongoing live updates as the APC National Working Committee prepares to review petitions from the aggrieved lawmakers.