2027: Over 50 APC Reps, Senators lose return tickets

No fewer than 50 members of the 10th House of Representatives and several senators are projected to lose their seats in the 11th National Assembly following significant upsets in the nationwide All Progressives Congress primaries.

There are indications that no fewer than 50 current members of the 10th House of Representatives and some current senators will not be in the 11th National Assembly following the All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries held nationwide. Although the ruling party is yet to officially release the full results of the internal polls, emerging findings show that the casualty figures among sitting lawmakers may go significantly higher. Several legislators affected by the outcome are reportedly shocked by the speed with which local political alliances quickly shifted against them at the grassroots level. The massive wave of defeats has triggered widespread tension within the party, with threats of litigation and silent protests emerging from aggrieved aspirants who insist the primaries lacked transparency and fairness.

The unexpected political purging comes after months where members of the National Assembly defended controversial executive reforms, passed executive-backed bills, and absorbed the intense political heat that came with difficult economic policies. From the contentious removal of the fuel subsidy to critical amendments to the Electoral Act and several strict fiscal measures, APC lawmakers repeatedly rallied behind executive proposals, often in the face of stiff opposition from Nigerians struggling with soaring inflation and economic hardship. However, as the APC primaries unfold ahead of the 2027 general elections, many of those same lawmakers are discovering that absolute loyalty to the presidency may not guarantee local political survival when state-level dynamics take over.

Among the high-profile casualties who failed to secure re-election tickets are veteran lawmakers and principal officers of the parliament. Leading lawmakers who lost re-election tickets of the APC include Nicholas Mutu, representing the Bomadi/Patani Federal Constituency of Delta State, and Mike Etaba, representing the Obubra/Etung Federal Constituency of Cross River State. Mutu has been in the House since 1999, making his defeat one of the biggest upsets of the season, while Etaba missed out on his fourth-term ticket. Also, Professor Julius Ihonvbere, the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, is among the non-returning legislators after suffering a surprising defeat in his bid to represent the Owan Federal Constituency of Edo State.

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