A major political shake-up is unfolding within the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the party concludes its House of Representatives and senatorial primaries ahead of the 2027 general elections, with about 70 serving lawmakers reportedly failing to secure return tickets.
The development has affected both the National Assembly’s lower and upper chambers, signalling an intense internal competition within the ruling party as aspirants jostle for positions ahead of the next election cycle.
Among the high-profile casualties is Donatus Mathew, the former commercial motorcyclist who rose to national prominence after winning the Kaura Federal Constituency seat in Kaduna State during the 2023 elections under the Labour Party platform.
Mathew, whose victory in 2023 was widely celebrated as a symbol of grassroots political breakthrough, later defected to the APC in 2024. However, his bid for re-election ended in the party primaries, where he reportedly secured a distant result against his opponent.
Several other defectors from opposition parties who joined the APC also lost out in the primaries, highlighting the challenges of integrating into established party structures ahead of elections.
Political observers say the outcome reflects both internal party dynamics and shifting loyalty patterns, as lawmakers who once rode on strong electoral waves in 2023 now struggle to maintain their positions within a more consolidated APC structure.
In the Senate, several notable figures are also among those who will not be returning, including senators who either lost primaries, stepped down, or withdrew from the race.
With these developments, attention is now shifting to how the APC will manage the fallout from the primaries and whether the outcomes could reshape legislative representation ahead of the 2027 general elections.