AS the All Progressives Congress (APC) holds its Senatorial primaries, across the 109 senatorial districts today, there are indications that Ogun East, Kwara Central and Imo West remain contentious spots.

Other districts where intense battle for the ticket are expected to get underway include: Oyo North, Oyo South and districts in Ondo and Kaduna.

Reports from the national headquarters of the APC, however, indicated that the senatorial primaries may turn out to be a fait accompli in several constituencies as aspirants seeking to displace serving senators may be at the receiving end of the power game.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that there is an understanding between the APC national secretariat and the leadership of the 10th Senate to ensure soft landing for their colleagues, seeking to return to the National Assembly.

A party source revealed that amidst the open opposition against a consensus deal, sitting senators are determined to test the waters with it.

“What is on the card is affirmation of sitting senators, plotting to be declared as unopposed.

“The Direct primary will only be considered in senatorial districts where aspirants vehemently oppose the deal.”

The party source revealed that there is an understanding that majority of serving senators must come back.

“It is only in places where the sitting senator has a fundamental problem that it will be difficult for the National Working Committee to intervene.

Asked for clarification on what he meant by a “fundamental problem,” the source noted that a serving lawmaker who is dragging ticket with a sitting governor may lose out.

“You know all politics is local. Any serving senator who is not in the good book of his governor and is dragging ticket with him, it will be difficult for the NWC to throw its weight around and intercede for such a lawmaker.

“The only person who can call the governor to order in that instance case is President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who is the leader of the party.” No national officer will be willing to stick out his neck,” the source noted.

Investigation revealed that senatorial districts where the APC will be having contentious primaries on Monday include Imo West senatorial district where Senator Osita Izunaso will have to contend with Imo state governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma for the senatorial ticket.

In Ogun East, incumbent governor, Dapo Abiodun and serving Senator, Gbenga Daniel will battle for the ticket.

In Kwara Central, the sitting governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, will be contesting in an hostile environment as party leaders in his senatorial district are smarting for a showdown with him over his stance to zone the governorship ticket away from his zone to Kwara North and his open hostility to incumbent senator in the zone, Senator Saliu Mustapha, who is in the race for governorship ticket.

However, the House of Representatives primaries of the party were enmeshed in crises across the country with accusations of imposition, non-declaration of result and violence in many of the states.

While the exercise was said to have been peaceful in some of the states, there were cases of rejection of results by aspirants who alleged irregularities in the conduct of the primaries.

Oyo

In Oyo, an aspirant for the House of Representatives seat in the Afijio/Oyo East/Oyo West/Atiba Federal Constituency on the platform of the APC, Barrister Wakil Oyedemi, has alleged irregularities and imposition in the party’s primary process, declaring that no valid primary election was conducted in the constituency.

Oyedemi, who is contesting against the incumbent lawmaker, Akeem Adeyemi, accused some leaders of the party of attempting to impose a preferred candidate on members instead of allowing a democratic process.

Speaking with journalists, the aspirant described the exercise as a charade, insisting that neither a valid consensus arrangement nor a direct primary election took place in the constituency.

“If there is going to be consensus, all aspirants must sit down, agree on one person and sign documents to that effect. That never happened here,” Oyedemi said.

According to him, the APC leadership at the state and constituency levels had allegedly predetermined who would emerge as candidate before the scheduled primary.

The lawyer and politician further claimed that party officials instructed ward leaders not to conduct any proper primary election but merely announce the name of a preferred aspirant.

Oyedemi maintained that no voting materials were distributed across the constituency and that no proper accreditation or voting process took place.

The aspirant also alleged that he and other contestants rejected the arrangement during a meeting with party leaders held ahead of the primary exercise.

Oyedemi said he was considering legal action over the matter, arguing that the alleged violations went beyond internal party affairs and amounted to breaches of constitutional and electoral provisions.

However, a fourth-term House of Representatives member, Honourable Kareem Tajudeen Abisodun, has secured the ticket for the Saki West/Saki East/Atisbo Federal Constituency.

The lawmaker polled a total of 10,047 votes in the keenly contested exercise conducted across the 32 wards that make up the constituency.

Abisodun, popularly known as “Were”, emerged as the party’s candidate after the APC primary held across the 32 wards in the constituency on Saturday.

Party members who monitored the exercise across different polling centres, in their separate remarks, commended the peaceful conduct of supporters and electoral officials, expressing optimism that the APC would head into the general elections stronger and more united.

Speaking after being declared winner, Abisodun thanked delegates, party leaders and supporters for what he described as their confidence in his leadership and representation.

Ondo

Meanwhile, tension is rising within the Ondo State chapter of party, following the inability of the party’s seven-man National Assembly Primary Election Committee, led by Honourable Iboroma Harry Dabibi, to officially announce the results of Saturday’s House of Representatives primaries.

It was learnt that disagreements among members of the committee stalled the process amid allegations of intense pressure from some political interests to declare certain aspirants winners, including individuals earlier disqualified by the party.

The situation reportedly compelled the committee’s secretary, Adamu Mohammed Shamaki, alongside two other members, to abruptly return to Abuja, leaving the chairman and the remaining members stranded in Akure without concluding the exercise.

According to sources, the Secretary objected to alleged attempts to announce a list of consensus candidates said to have been favoured by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, insisting that the committee lacked the authority to do so.

He was said to have maintained that the panel’s responsibility was limited to collating results and forwarding its report to the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party for further action.

He said the secretary reportedly sneaked out of his hotel room to avoid being manipulated while his whereabouts could not be confirmed as of the time of filing this report while some claimed that he may have returned to Abuja to brief the APC leadership.

The sudden departure of the secretary and other committee members to Abuja has further heightened uncertainty surrounding the party’s senatorial primaries scheduled for Monday, with fears that the development may affect the conduct of the exercise.

In the same vein, youths and women of the party on Sunday converged on Odigbo Local Government Area of the state, calling on the leadership of the party not to tamper with the outcome of the election.

The party faithful, who turned out in large numbers, insisted that the votes cast during the primary election must be protected and that the will of APC members across the constituency should be respected.

The supporters, largely backing House of Representatives aspirant, Simisola Fajemirokun Ajayi, alleged that there were attempts to suppress and manipulate the outcome of the exercise despite what they described as massive support received across the wards.

Addressing journalists during the gathering, Ajayi said the turnout of supporters reflected the genuine passion and commitment of party members who participated in the primary election.

According to her, “There were reports of suppression across different wards, and it was very clear that our people came out en masse.

These people are not rented crowds; they are genuine APC members who believe in democracy and want their voices heard.

“Though the results have not been announced, but it’s important to protect the votes of young people, of women, and all the people of Odigbo that came out en masse for me.”

Benue

However, the Chairman of the National Assembly Primary Election Committee in Benue State, Alh. Sabiu Mahuta, announced the results of the primary on Sunday in Makurdi, the state capital.

The announcement shows that six serving members of House of Representatives, who are loyal to the Secretary to the Government of Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, lost the ticket to the supporters of the state governor, Hyacinth Alia.

According to the results announced on Sunday, the loyalists of the governor who won the primary election include Apa/Agatu; Honourable Ojotu Ojema, Makurdi/Guma; Terfa Ikper, Buruku; Gideon Inyom, Gwer East/Gwer West; Engr Terhemba Nongo and Kwande/Ushongo; Prof Kohol Iornem.

Others are Katstina Ala/Ukum; Logo Solomon Wombo, Vandeikya/ Konshisha; Livinus Tsar, Oju/Obi; Dr Peter Egbodo and Ado/Ogbadigbo/Okpokwu; Anthony Agom.

While the supporters of the SGF who lost the primaries include Dzua Yortyom of Buruku, Dickson Tarkighir; Guma/Makurdi, Austin Achado from Gwer East/Gwer West, Sesoo Ikpacher from Konshisha/Vandeikiya.

Others include, Kwande/Ushongo: Hon. Terseer Ugbor and Oju/Obi, David Ogewo.

As of the time of filing this report the results of Gboko/Tarka and Otukpo/Ohinmini federal constituencies were still being expected.

Mrs Regina Akume, wife of the SGF is contesting alongside three other contestants in Gboko/Tarka federal constituency.

Blessing Onuh, daughter of the national chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), David Mark contested alongside four other aspirants.

Ekiti

Members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from Òkè-Àkò Ekiti, Irele-Ekiti and Ijowa-Ekiti in Ikole Local Government Area of Ekiti State have strongly condemned the violence, intimidation and attacks that characterised the House of Representatives primary Election held in Ward 11, Ipao-Ekiti.

The APC House of Representatives primary election committee while announcing the results of other constituencies on Sunday declared the election in Oye/Ikole federal constituency as inconclusive over reported violence and crisis on Saturday.

The APC members lamented that the exercise, which ought to have reflected the democratic ideals of the party, was unfortunately marred by violent attacks carried out by alleged political thugs against party faithful perceived to be supporting a different aspirant from the one backed by the attackers.

Among those attacked were Hon. Samuel Adetiba and Mr. Ore Bamidele, the latter, who was beaten into a coma and is presently in critical condition at a private hospital in the locality where he is receiving medical attention.

Beyond the physical attacks on members, campaign banners belonging to the aspirant opposed by the attackers were also vandalised and destroyed during the incident.

Rivers

It its elections across the thirteen federal constituencies in Rivers State, the Chairman and Returning Officer of the exercise, Wahab Akanni Owokaniran, announced the winners at the APC State Secretariat along Aba Road in Port Harcourt.

Those declared winners include Precious Igwe for Port Harcourt Federal Constituency One, Dumnamena Dekor for Gokana/Khana, and Felix Nwaeke for Eleme/Tai/Oyigbo Federal Constituency.

Others are Isobo Steve Solomon Jack for Asari-Toru/Akuku-Toru Federal Constituency, Hart Cyri for Degema/Bonny, and Linda Stewart for Okrika/Ogu-Bolo Federal Constituency.

Also declared winners were Solomon Bob for Abua/Odual/Ahoada East, Martin Chike Amaewhule for Obio-Akpor, and Victor Obuzor for Ahoada West/ONELGA Federal Constituency.

The list also includes Frederick Apiafi for Andoni/Opobo/Nkoro, Ozuzum Nwamaka for Etche/Omuma, Blessing Amadi for Port Harcourt Federal Constituency Two, and Adiele Ogbor for Ikwerre/Emuoha Federal Constituency.

Speaking after the declaration, Owokaniran described the exercise as peaceful, transparent and credible.

Jigawa

Governor Umar Namadi of Jigawa State has described the conduct of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary elections in Jigawa State as peaceful, transparent and highly successful, saying the exercise underscored the unity and strength of the ruling party ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Speaking after Saturday’s primaries held across federal constituencies in the state, Namadi said Jigawa recorded one of the highest levels of consensus arrangements in the country, with about 90 per cent of aspirants adopting consensus.

The governor attributed the development to the cooperation and understanding among party stakeholders, elders and supporters across the state.

“Alhamdulillah, we thank Almighty Allah because our consensus arrangement has been very successful. About 90 per cent of the positions were resolved through consensus, and I think this is one of the best arrangements in Nigeria,” he said.

According to him, only three federal constituencies conducted direct primaries after several aspirants voluntarily stepped down in line with the Electoral Act and the APC constitution. (TRIBUNE)

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