Date: May 16, 2026 l By Jan Porch
Nigeria’s ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), has released the official list of House of Representatives aspirants disqualified from participating in its upcoming primaries ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The list, published Saturday by the party’s national leadership, identified aspirants marked “not cleared” across several states including Ondo, Bauchi, Ebonyi, Kogi and Rivers. The screening exercise forms part of the APC’s nationwide preparations for its National Assembly primaries.
According to a statement signed by APC National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka, the screening process was conducted by party committees “in line with established procedures and guidelines.” However, the party did not publicly explain the reasons behind the disqualifications.
Ondo State Disqualified Aspirants
The APC listed several aspirants from Ondo State who failed to secure clearance for the primaries:
- Hon. Adefisoye Tajudeen (Idanre/Ifedore)
- Olusegun Victor Ategbole (Akoko South-East/South-West)
- Seun Oluwashina Ajongbolo (Akoko South-East/South-West)
- Rt. Hon. Arowole Ayodeji Samuel (Owo/Ose)
- Morufu Tosin Ibrahim (Akoko North-East/North-West)
- Oseni Oyeniyi (Akoko North-East/North-West)
- Olaleye John Adedipe (Akoko North-East/North-West)
Other States Affected
Additional aspirants declared “not cleared” include:
- Dr. Bashir Ibrahim Bello (Darazo/Ganjuwa Federal Constituency, Bauchi State)
- Hon. Idu Igariwe (Afikpo/Edda Federal Constituency, Ebonyi State)
- Sanni Salau Ogembe (Okene/Ogori-Magongo Federal Constituency, Kogi State)
Rivers State Controversy
The Rivers State list generated particularly strong reactions due to the disqualification of several politicians believed to be loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Among those disqualified were:
- Air Commodore John Azubuike Opara (rtd)
- Hon. Anderson Allison Igbiki
- Awaji Imombek D. Abirite
- Hon. Boma Goodhead
Reports indicated that some of the affected politicians are serving members of the House of Representatives and prominent allies of Governor Fubara. The development has intensified political tensions within the APC in Rivers State, where rival factions aligned with Fubara and Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike continue battling for control of the party structure.
The APC’s screening process has already sparked protests, petitions and allegations of candidate imposition across several states. Earlier investigations by The PUNCH revealed that more than 150 aspirants nationwide had reportedly been disqualified during pre-primary screening exercises, worsening internal divisions within the party.
In Rivers State, supporters of former presidential aspirant Tein Jack-Rich also staged protests after he was reportedly disqualified from the APC senatorial race. Some party stakeholders accused the APC leadership of favoring politicians linked to Wike while sidelining long-standing party loyalists.
Elsewhere, concerns over transparency and fairness have continued to grow ahead of the primaries. In Adamawa State, APC House of Representatives primaries were delayed Saturday after election officials reportedly failed to arrive at several wards on time, fueling accusations of attempts to impose preferred candidates.
President Bola Tinubu has meanwhile appealed to APC members and aspirants nationwide to conduct themselves peacefully during the primary season as the party attempts to avoid a deeper internal crisis before the 2027 elections.