APC has dropped Gabriel Suswam and 24 other National Assembly Aspirants from final INEC candidates List.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that the National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has removed former Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswam, and five other senatorial aspirants from the party’s final list of candidates submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The revised list also excluded former House of Representatives member, Gbenga Elegbeleye, along with 19 House of Representatives aspirants who had emerged victorious during the APC primary elections held in May 2026.
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According to the updated document submitted to INEC, the affected constituencies are spread across Abia, Kogi, Taraba, Benue, Ebonyi, Ondo, Kaduna, Niger and Kwara states.
In a letter addressed to INEC and jointly signed by APC National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, and National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, the party explained that the changes followed recommendations made by its Primary Election Appeal Committee.
The letter, titled “Forwarding of Approved List of Senatorial and House of Representatives Candidates,” stated that the National Working Committee reviewed and approved the committee’s report as the party’s final position on the affected constituencies.
“We write to formally forward the attached list of the party’s candidates for the affected senatorial and House of Representatives constituencies arising from the report of the Primary Election Appeal Committee.
“Following the determination of appeals from the recently concluded primary elections, the reports of the Appeal Committee were reviewed and subsequently considered and approved by the party’s NWC as its final position on the affected constituencies.
“In accordance with the amended Electoral Act 2022 and INEC’s regulations and guidelines, we hereby transmit the enclosed list of the approved candidates for seven senatorial districts and 19 House of Representatives constituencies for your records and necessary action,” the letter read.
Meanwhile, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, Senate Chief Whip Mohammed Monguno and former Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole have received their Candidate Affidavit Forms (EC9).
The APC also cleared four serving governors to contest Senate seats in the 2027 elections. They are Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Fintiri and Gombe State Governor Inuwa Yahaya.
Other prominent figures cleared for senatorial contests include former Kaduna State Governor Mukhtar Yero, Shehu Sani, Sunday Katung and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello, who secured the APC ticket for Kogi Central Senatorial District.
The submission of candidates’ particulars follows the ratification of the party’s primary election results and a review based on the recommendations of the Primary Election Appeal Committee in line with INEC guidelines.
For the House of Representatives, Speaker Abbas Tajudeen, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, Mudashiru Obasa and James Faleke are among those cleared to fly the APC flag.
INEC has scheduled the submission of presidential and National Assembly candidates’ particulars by political parties from June 27 to July 10 through its Candidate Nomination Portal.
Speaking on the process, APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, disclosed that the party received more than 700 petitions from aggrieved aspirants during the primaries.
He, however, said the party’s immediate priority was ensuring that successful candidates completed and submitted their nomination forms before INEC’s deadline.
“They are to complete and return the forms to the party for upload to the INEC portal, so making the list public is not our priority now.
“Those who are our candidates have, by now, received their forms. They already know themselves, and there is no tension about that,” Morka said.
