The All Progressives Congress entered its nationwide senatorial primaries expecting a show of strength ahead of the 2027 elections. Instead, the ruling party emerged from the exercise confronting a wave of protests, factional bitterness, competing power blocs and fresh questions about the survival of internal democracy within its ranks.
Across multiple states on Monday, the APC’s primaries exposed the increasingly fragile relationship between governors, lawmakers, former officeholders and party stakeholders struggling to control the political machinery that will shape the next election cycle.
The exercise produced dramatic political comebacks, humiliating defeats, disputed results and open threats of rebellion by aggrieved aspirants who accused party leaders of manipulating outcomes through consensus arrangements, selective disqualifications and alleged predetermined results.
For a party already carrying the burden of managing competing interests around President Bola Tinubu’s expected re-election bid, the primaries offered an early glimpse into the intense internal battles likely to define the APC’s journey toward 2027.
In many states, the contests reflected less of a democratic selection process and more of a coordinated struggle for survival among rival political camps seeking relevance in the next phase of the ruling party’s power structure.
The fiercest signs of instability emerged in Kogi State, where tensions surrounding the primaries immediately spilled into the open.
In Kogi East Senatorial District, incumbent Senator Jibrin Isah, widely known as Echocho, rejected the process outright, alleging that no genuine election took place in several wards.
Visibly angry in a video that quickly circulated online, the senator accused party officials of arriving with prepared results allegedly written before voting even commenced.
“That result is a nullity,” he declared, insisting the process lacked credibility.
But Echocho’s frustration extended beyond the disputed primary itself. In what many observers interpreted as a direct challenge to the state’s political hierarchy, he threatened to confront Governor Ahmed Ododo in the 2027 governorship election if the outcome was not reversed.
The confrontation revealed deeper tensions within the Kogi APC, where loyalties remain sharply divided among factions linked to former governor Yahaya Bello, Governor Ododo and emerging political actors attempting to assert independence from the old power structure.
Ironically, Bello himself emerged as one of the major beneficiaries of the exercise.
The former governor secured the APC senatorial ticket for Kogi Central with an overwhelming victory, reinforcing his enduring influence within the party despite no longer occupying office.
Bello’s return immediately altered political calculations in the state, signaling that he remains a central figure in Kogi politics and potentially a major force within the APC’s northern bloc ahead of 2027.
Yet even his victory could not mask the wider discontent surrounding the exercise.
In Kogi West, another aspirant, Ustaz Abubakar Ola, alleged intimidation and disruption of voting in areas where he enjoyed strong support, further deepening concerns over the conduct of the primaries.
Similar patterns of unrest surfaced across the country.
In Edo State, the APC primary in Edo South degenerated into confusion after rival factions announced different winners for the same contest. While one group declared Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama victorious, another faction insisted former governorship aspirant Osagie Ize-Iyamu had won.
Senator Neda Imasuen rejected the entire process, accusing party leaders of openly favouring a preferred candidate before voting began.
The Edo controversy underscored a recurring complaint among aspirants nationwide: that many of the primaries were effectively predetermined long before party members arrived at polling centres.
That perception became even stronger following the controversial disqualification of dozens of aspirants by the APC screening committee.
The party announced that 44 aspirants had been denied clearance to participate in the senatorial primaries, a decision that immediately generated outrage across several states.
Among those affected were serving lawmakers, former senators, prominent businessmen and influential party figures from Rivers, Bayelsa, Oyo, Plateau, Cross River and other states.
In Rivers State, the exclusion of Senator Ipalibo Banigo-Harry triggered one of the strongest reactions.
The former deputy governor and serving senator described her disqualification as unfair and discriminatory, arguing that experienced female politicians were being sidelined despite repeated promises of inclusion by party leaders.
Her direct appeal to President Tinubu reflected growing frustration among some APC members who believe state-level political structures have become too dominant and intolerant of dissenting voices.
The confusion surrounding the disqualification process worsened when the APC released conflicting versions of the affected list.
Initially, 47 aspirants were declared “not cleared,” but an updated list later reduced the number to 44 without any official explanation for the sudden changes.
The unexplained removal of some names, including former senator Ben Murray-Bruce, fuelled accusations that the process lacked transparency and consistency.
For critics within the party, the episode reinforced fears that the APC’s internal mechanisms are increasingly driven by negotiations among elite power brokers rather than open competition.
Nowhere did that perception appear stronger than in states where governors and party leaders aggressively pushed consensus arrangements.
In Lagos State, all three incumbent senators emerged through affirmation rather than competitive voting, reflecting a deliberate effort by party leaders to avoid internal disputes.
Similar consensus models were adopted in Borno, Yobe, Kebbi and parts of Ebonyi State, where influential stakeholders brokered agreements designed to prevent divisive contests.
Supporters of the approach insist consensus candidacies are necessary to preserve party unity and avoid expensive political warfare ahead of national elections.
But opponents argue the strategy merely suppresses dissent temporarily while deepening resentment beneath the surface.
In several cases, the cracks became visible almost immediately.
Kwara State provided one of the clearest examples of how fragile such arrangements can be.
Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq was initially projected as the sole aspirant for the Kwara Central senatorial ticket after reports indicated other contenders had stepped aside.
But confusion erupted after Senator Saliu Mustapha was reportedly cleared to participate in the race, contradicting earlier claims from the governor’s camp that AbdulRazaq would emerge unopposed.
The dramatic reversal exposed apparent disagreements within the party hierarchy and highlighted the increasingly complex power negotiations shaping APC politics nationwide.
In Ogun State, the absence of former governors Gbenga Daniel and Ibikunle Amosun from the primaries also raised eyebrows.
While Governor Dapo Abiodun portrayed the exercise as peaceful and democratic, political insiders suggested the withdrawals reflected dissatisfaction with how consensus arrangements were handled.
Amosun’s supporters reportedly complained that the former governor was excluded from critical consultations, while Daniel’s camp cited security concerns and the need to avoid violence.
The developments illustrated a broader reality within the APC: many powerful political actors now appear willing to sacrifice open confrontation temporarily in exchange for preserving influence within the party’s long-term calculations.
Still, not all contests ended in quiet negotiations.
In Delta State, two of the most high-profile battles of the primaries unfolded in dramatic fashion.
Former governor Ifeanyi Okowa defeated incumbent Senator Ned Nwoko in Delta North, while Senator Ede Dafinone overwhelmed former Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege in Delta Central.
The outcomes signaled major shifts within the APC’s Delta structure, particularly following recent political realignments involving former opposition figures.
But Omo-Agege refused to accept defeat, insisting he had won overwhelmingly across the district.
His rejection of the result reflected a broader pattern emerging across the country: aspirants increasingly willing to challenge party outcomes publicly rather than quietly accepting negotiated settlements.
Political observers say the growing resistance from aggrieved aspirants poses a significant challenge for the APC leadership as it attempts to maintain cohesion ahead of 2027.
Historically, disputed primaries have represented one of the greatest threats to Nigerian political parties, often triggering defections, parallel structures, prolonged litigation and anti-party activities.
The APC itself rose to national power partly by exploiting divisions within the then-ruling Peoples Democratic Party ahead of the 2015 elections.
Now, some analysts warn the ruling party may be drifting toward similar internal instability.
The danger for the APC is not necessarily the existence of disagreements — internal contests are inevitable in a party controlling federal power — but the scale and intensity of dissatisfaction spreading simultaneously across different regions.
Many of those protesting the primaries are not fringe politicians with little influence. They are sitting senators, former governors, long-serving party loyalists and influential stakeholders with deep grassroots networks.
If left unresolved, their grievances could weaken the party’s electoral strength in critical states.
Yet despite the protests, the APC leadership appears focused on a broader political objective: ensuring stability around President Tinubu’s expected second-term project.
The widespread use of consensus arrangements, strategic withdrawals and governor-led negotiations suggests the party is prioritising cohesion at the top even if it generates frustration among lower-level stakeholders.
For now, the APC remains firmly in control nationally, with opposition parties still struggling to build a united challenge.
But the senatorial primaries revealed an important truth about the ruling party’s current condition.
Beneath the surface of electoral dominance lies an increasingly fierce struggle over succession, influence and political survival.
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