Dozens of serving federal lawmakers who failed to secure the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket for the 2027 general elections are set to leave the National Assembly at the end of their current tenure, following the party’s primaries and the restrictions imposed by the amended Electoral Act.
With the deadline for political parties to submit their membership registers to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) already elapsed, affected lawmakers can no longer switch to another political party to pursue re-election for the 2027 polls.
Reports indicate that more than 50 serving members of the National Assembly lost their return tickets during the APC primaries, including several ranking lawmakers and principal officers.
Among the prominent casualties are House Majority Leader, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere; Senators Gbenga Daniel (Ogun East), Diket Plang (Plateau Central), Emmanuel Udende (Benue North-East), Titus Zam (Benue North-West), Olubiyi Fadeyi (Osun Central), Lola Ashiru (Kwara South), and several members of the House of Representatives from states such as Edo, Imo, Ogun, Ondo, Delta, Cross River, Jigawa and Kogi.
The amended Electoral Act now bars aspirants from changing political parties after the submission of party membership registers for the same election cycle, effectively shutting the door on last-minute defections by unsuccessful aspirants. As a result, lawmakers who lost APC primaries have little option but to await the end of their current mandates unless they successfully challenge the primary outcomes through the party’s internal mechanisms or the courts.
Despite the major shake-up, several APC heavyweights retained their tickets. They include Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, former Senate President Ahmad Lawan, Ali Ndume, Orji Uzor Kalu, Speaker Abbas Tajudeen, James Faleke and Mukhtar Betara, all of whom emerged victorious in their respective primaries.
The outcome of the APC primaries has triggered protests and petitions in several states, with some defeated aspirants alleging irregularities and vowing to seek redress. Nevertheless, the party has commenced submission of its approved candidates to INEC in line with the electoral timetable for the 2027 general elections.