Full List: Senatorial Candidates Dumped By APC After They Won Primaries
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)'s National Working Committee (NWC) has dropped five senatorial candidates from the final list of candidates of the ruling party, which was forwarded to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ahead of the 2027 general election.
Among the candidates who were replaced was an influential former governor of Benue, Gabriel Suswam. The candidates were declared winners in the APC primaries, which were held in May.
Daily Trust reported that in a letter written to the electoral body by INEC, which was signed by both Nentawe Yilwatda and Ajibola Basiru, the party's national chairman and national secretary, the APC attributed the development to the report submitted by the Primary Election Appeal Committee.
Below is the list of candidates who have been replaced:
Gabriel Suswam
The former governor of Benue was dropped by the party following the report of the appeal committee and was replaced by Emmanuel Memga Udende, who defeated Suswam, who had contested under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 elections.
In February 2026, Suswam dumped the PDP for the APC in his bid to secure the party's senatorial ticket and sack Udende. Unfortunately, the appeal committee reinstated Udende, and his name has been submitted to INEC as the APC candidate for the Benue North East senatorial district election.
Taiwo Fasoranti
The former secretary to the Ondo state government and son of the national leader of Afenifere, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, was earlier declared the winner of the APC primary for the Ondo Central Senatorial District election.
However, the APC appeal committee has upturned his election as the party submitted the name of Adeniyi Adegbonmire, the current senator of the party, for the seat.
Aro Samuel Bamidele
The former member of the House of Representatives, who represented the Yagba Federal Constituency from 2007 to 2011, was declared the winner of the APC senatorial primary for Kogi West.
Unfortunately, the announcement was withdrawn as the APC candidate in its final list, and the ticket was handed over to Senator Sunday Karimi, who is the current holder of the ticket seeking re-election.
Other APC senatorial candidates
Below is the list of other candidates who have been replaced by the APC primary election petition committee and their replacements:
| S/N | Replaced Candidate | New Candidate | Senatorial District | State |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Edinburgh Uchenna Erondu | Prince Paul Ikonne | Abia South | Abia |
| 2 | Benjamin T. Aber | Titus Tartenger Zam | Benue North West | Benue |
| 3 | Mohammed Kabir Bello | Shuaibu Isa Lau | Taraba North | Taraba |
| 4 | Gbenga Elegbeleye | Olajide Ipinsagba | Ondo North | Ondo |
Source: Legit.ng