by Stephen Simon
No fewer than 50 serving members of the House of Representatives may have lost their chances of returning to the National Assembly following the outcome of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries ahead of the 2027 general election. Among the prominent casualties are Nicholas Mutu, the longest-serving member of the House; Deputy Chief Whip Ibrahim Isiaka; and Yusuf Adamu Gagdi, one of the most vocal lawmakers in the Green Chamber.
Reports indicate that at least 48 APC lawmakers failed to secure return tickets during the primaries, while two lawmakers from Bayelsa State reportedly opted out of the race to pursue higher political ambitions. The figure may still rise as the ruling party is yet to conclude the release of results from all constituencies across the country.
Despite the widespread upsets, some top-ranking lawmakers survived the fierce contest. Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, and Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu both secured their return tickets, emerging among the biggest winners of the APC primary exercise.
One of the most symbolic defeats was recorded in Delta State, where Nicholas Mutu lost the APC ticket for Bomadi/Patani Federal Constituency. Mutu has represented the constituency since 1999, making him the longest-serving member of the House of Representatives in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic. His defeat potentially marks the end of a parliamentary career spanning nearly three decades unless last-minute political realignments alter the situation before the 2027 elections.
Also in Delta, Ngozi Okolie, who represents Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency, lost the APC ticket to former Minority Leader Ndudi Elumelu. Okolie had defeated Elumelu during the 2023 general election on the platform of the Labour Party before later defecting to the APC. Their rematch during the APC primaries ended in favour of Elumelu, who reclaimed political control of the constituency.
In Ogun State, Deputy Chief Whip Ibrahim Isiaka also suffered a major setback after losing the APC ticket for Ifo/Ewekoro Federal Constituency. His defeat makes him the only known principal officer of the House to have failed in the APC primaries so far. The Ogun primaries also swept away several other serving lawmakers, including Ishaq Akinlade, Tunji Akinosi and Femi Ogunbanwo, underscoring the intensity of the internal contest within the party.
Plateau State also witnessed a dramatic upset as Yusuf Adamu Gagdi lost his bid for a third term in the House. Gagdi, who represents Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam Federal Constituency and is regarded as one of the influential voices in the chamber, was defeated by Dr. John Tongshinen. Official results released by returning officer Daspan Ishaya showed Tongshinen polling 29,968 votes, while Gagdi scored fewer than 6,000 votes, highlighting the scale of the defeat.
In Edo State, Majority Leader Julius Ihonvbere also lost his APC ticket for Owan Federal Constituency after finishing third in the primary election. Andrew Ijegbia won the contest with 3,695 votes, while Abdul Oroh came second with 1,740 votes. Ihonvbere polled 1,005 votes out of the 7,587 total votes cast. Similar political shocks were recorded in Cross River State, where five out of eight serving APC lawmakers failed to secure return tickets, including Mike Etaba, Godwin Offiono, Emil Inyang and Bassey Akiba. Political observers say the outcome of the APC primaries signals an early wave of political realignments ahead of what is expected to be a fiercely contested 2027 general election.
