The House of Representatives primaries of the ruling All Progressives Congress ahead of the 2027 general elections have sparked a major internal crisis within the party, with at least 26 serving lawmakers reportedly losing their return tickets.
The primaries also witnessed several disqualifications and withdrawals amid allegations of manipulation, imposition and consensus arrangements.
The exercise, held across states including Rivers, Edo, Imo, Lagos, Kwara, Benue, Ekiti, Plateau and Cross River, exposed growing divisions within the ruling party as governors, political blocs and influential party leaders battled for control of candidacies.
The fallout from the exercise has already triggered threats of legal action, with some aggrieved lawmakers insisting the primaries did not meet democratic standards.
Confirming the development, APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, said 14 aspirants were disqualified during the screening process.
According to him, the affected aspirants “failed to scale the party’s screening exercise conducted in line with established procedures and guidelines.”
However, the party spokesman did not disclose the specific reasons for their disqualification.
Among those affected were four serving lawmakers — Iduma Igariwey from Ebonyi State, Awaji-Inombek Abiante, Anderson Allison and Boma Goodhead, all from Rivers State.