APC Risks Fresh Legal Battle Over Revised Senate Candidates

The All Progressives Congress (APC) is facing the prospect of another round of legal disputes following its decision to revise the outcome of several senatorial primaries and restore some serving lawmakers to the party’s ticket ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The controversy comes as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) reaffirmed that it will only accept candidates who emerged from primaries monitored by the commission, warning that its electronic nomination portal is designed to reject names that do not correspond with officially uploaded primary results.

The development has placed the APC’s post-primary review under fresh scrutiny, with political observers expecting aggrieved aspirants to challenge the revised nominations if they believe due process was not followed.

Documents from the party’s National Working Committee showed that the APC reviewed the recommendations of its Primary Election Appeal Committee and reinstated the tickets of several serving senators whose earlier defeats during the primaries had generated controversy.

Among those restored were Senators Sunday Karimi (Kogi West), Emmanuel Udende (Benue North-East), Titus Zam (Benue North-West), Shuaibu Isa Lau (Taraba North), Adeniyi Adegbonmire (Ondo Central) and Olajide Ipinsagba (Ondo North). Prince Paul Ikonne also emerged as the party’s senatorial candidate for Abia South after the review.

The exercise overturned some earlier primary outcomes, including the victory initially secured by former Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswam in Benue North-East before the ticket was returned to incumbent Senator Emmanuel Udende.

The review followed petitions submitted by dissatisfied aspirants after the APC concluded its nationwide National Assembly primaries.

However, INEC maintained that political parties cannot arbitrarily substitute candidates outside the results of monitored primaries.

Speaking on the commission’s nomination process, INEC National Commissioner Mohammed Haruna explained that officials who monitored party primaries had already uploaded authentic results into the commission’s electronic portal before political parties begin submitting candidates’ particulars.

According to him, the system automatically rejects any name that differs from the uploaded primary results, a safeguard introduced to prevent disputes over candidate substitution that characterised previous elections.

The commission said the electronic verification process was strengthened under the Electoral Act to ensure greater transparency and reduce post-primary litigation.

Party sources, however, disclosed that the APC’s review followed interventions by senior party leaders, governors and other stakeholders seeking to resolve internal disputes and preserve party unity ahead of the 2027 elections.

The sources also indicated that negotiations and political compromises influenced some of the final decisions reached by the party’s appeal committee.

Despite the internal review, legal analysts believe aspirants displaced by the revised list could challenge the decisions in court if they consider the process inconsistent with the Electoral Act or party guidelines.

With political parties already submitting candidates for the 2027 elections, attention is now expected to shift to whether the APC’s revised nominations satisfy INEC’s verification process or become the subject of fresh litigation before the polls.