ABUJA, NIGERIA — The internal democratic machinery of the ruling All Progressives Congress has delivered a series of unexpected outcomes across the federation, as several serving members of the House of Representatives failed to secure their return tickets during the party’s recently concluded primary elections. The nationwide exercise, conducted to elect official flagbearers ahead of the 2027 general elections, was characterized by intense political maneuvering, shifting local alliances, and strict adherence to grassroots power-sharing arrangements, leaving many established legislative veterans without a path back to the Green Chamber.
Among the most prominent casualties of this political cycle was the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Julius Ihonvbere. His high-profile bid for a third consecutive term representing Owan Federal Constituency in Edo State ended in an unexpected defeat, sending shockwaves through the national legislative community. Ihonvbere, a distinguished professor of political science and a key figure in the leadership hierarchy of the National Assembly, lost the party ticket to Andrew Ijegbai, a former Commissioner for Mining in Edo State.
Local political analysts report that the Majority Leader's defeat was heavily influenced by a strict zoning arrangement between Owan East and Owan West Local Government Areas. Grassroots party members and structural leaders within the constituency reportedly insisted on honoring the historical rotation policy, which dictates that legislative representation alternate periodically between the two sister local government councils to maintain administrative equity and geopolitical balance.
The wave of primary upsets in Edo State did not stop with the House leadership. In another highly contested race, serving lawmaker Eseosa Iyawe lost his bid to retain the All Progressives Congress ticket for Oredo Federal Constituency. The coveted ticket was won by Dr. Paddy Iyamu, a former Commissioner for Education in the state, who mobilized an aggressive grassroots campaign focused on legislative renewal.
Iyawe’s defeat is viewed by many as a significant blow to political defectors within the region, given that he was among the block of lawmakers who originally secured election into the House of Representatives on the platform of the Labour Party but subsequently crossed the carpet to join the ruling All Progressives Congress after spending some years in the Green Chamber. Local party loyalists reportedly favored Iyamu, viewing him as a more consistent party man with deep roots in the progressive fold.
Further south in Imo State, the primary elections delivered an even more sweeping verdict, as four incumbent members of the House of Representatives were denied return tickets by their respective constituents. The affected lawmakers include Matthew Nwogu, who represents Aboh Mbaise and Ngor Okpala Federal Constituency, and Miriam Onuoha, the incumbent representative for Okigwe South Federal Constituency.
Joining the list of defeated Imo incumbents were Harrison Nwadike, who currently represents Isu, Njaba, Nkwerre, and Nwangele Federal Constituency, and Emeka Martins Chinedu of Ahiazu and Ezinihitte Federal Constituency. Electoral observers tracking the developments in Imo State noted that a combination of performance dissatisfaction, local executive interference, and an overarching desire for fresh representation drove delegates to vote decisively against the return of these long-serving legislative figures.
Moving toward the North-Central geopolitical zone, the political realignment claimed the ambition of Ismail Kayode, the incumbent representative for Ifelodun, Oyun, and Offa Federal Constituency in Kwara State. Kayode was soundly defeated in the primary election by Rafiu Ajakaye, a prominent political communicator and the former Chief Press Secretary to the Executive Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq. Ajakaye’s successful transition from executive media management to core legislative candidacy was reportedly bolstered by his deep network within the state’s political structure and the strong endorsement of grassroots party organizers who sought a more articulate and accessible presence at the federal level.
In Kebbi State, the story of unseated incumbents found another expression through the mechanism of consensus politics. The serving lawmaker for Jega, Gwandu, and Aleiro Federal Constituency, Mansur Musa Jega, lost his opportunity to secure a return ticket following a meticulously orchestrated consensus arrangement by state party elders. The strategic alignment ultimately produced Jafar Ahmed Jega, a former Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Correctional Service, as the consensus flagbearer. The state leadership defended the move as a necessary measure to stabilize the party and present a formidable, unified candidate capable of commanding widespread respect across the entire federal constituency.
The northwestern state of Jigawa completed the trend of sweeping legislative turnovers, matching Imo State with four of its serving federal lawmakers losing their return tickets during the internal party polls. The affected Jigawa representatives include Muktar Muhammad, who represents Kazaure, Roni, Gwiwa, and Yankwashi Federal Constituency, and Ibrahim Usman Auyo of Hadejia, Auyo, and Kafin Hausa Federal Constituency.
The political shakeup in Jigawa also ousted Sa’adu Wada Taura, representing Ringim and Taura Federal Constituency, alongside Yusif Sa’idu Miga, the incumbent lawmaker for Jahun and Miga Federal Constituency. Party insiders in Dutse revealed that the massive turnover of legislative candidates in the state was part of a broader re-engineering effort by the state party hierarchy to re-energize the party’s grassroots base and counter the rising influence of opposition platforms ahead of the general election.
The outcome of these primary elections has initiated a intense debate among national political strategists regarding the high rate of legislative turnover in the country's democracy. While some view the sweeping defeat of incumbents as a positive sign of a vibrant, responsive democracy where lawmakers are held strictly accountable by their constituents, others warn that the continuous loss of experienced legislators could weaken the institutional memory and policy-making capacity of the National Assembly. As the party secretariat prepares to submit the official list of its validated candidates to the electoral umpire, the newly elected flagbearers face the immediate task of reconciling with the defeated incumbents to ensure a united front for the general campaign.
