A wave of political upsets has swept through the All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries, with several serving lawmakers losing their bids to return to the House of Representatives ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The contests produced dramatic reversals for sitting members across multiple states, as party delegates opted for fresh contenders and political heavyweights, effectively ending the re-election hopes of several incumbents.
In Edo State, House Majority Leader Julius Ihonvbere failed in his bid to secure a return to the House of Representatives, losing the APC ticket for Owan Federal Constituency to former Mining Commissioner Andrew Ijegbai. The defeat was widely seen as a major political shock within the party hierarchy.
Also in Edo, Eseosa Iyawe was denied a return to the House of Representatives for Oredo Federal Constituency, as delegates chose former Education Commissioner Dr. Paddy Iyamu instead.
In Imo State, the primaries turned into a sweeping rejection of incumbents, with Matthew Nwogu, Miriam Onuoha, Harrison Nwadike, and Emeka Martins Chinedu all failing to secure tickets to return to the House of Representatives.
Kwara State also witnessed a major upset, as Ismail Kayode lost his bid to return to the House of Representatives for Ifelodun/Oyun/Offa Federal Constituency to Rafiu Ajakaye, a former aide to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.
In Kebbi State, Mansur Musa Jega was also blocked from returning to the House of Representatives following a consensus arrangement that produced former Correctional Service chief Jafar Ahmed Jega as the party’s candidate.
Jigawa State recorded another clean sweep against incumbents, with four serving lawmakers losing their tickets to return to the House of Representatives amid intense internal party competition.
Perhaps the most dramatic loss came in Delta State, where long-serving lawmaker Nicholas Mutu, who has been in the House of Representatives since 1999, was defeated by Basil Okolobaowei Ganagana, ending his decades-long grip on the constituency ticket.
The outcomes signal a significant reshaping of APC’s legislative slate, with strong incumbents displaced as the party heads toward the 2027 general elections.
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