APC HOR Primaries: Winners Celebrate, Losers Recalibrate

Candidates for the 2027 House of Representatives elections have emerged on the platform of the All Progressives Congress after the party’s primaries across the thirty-six states and Abuja on Saturday. The successful candidates include the Speaker of the House of Representatives, TAJUDEEN ABBAS, who was returned unopposed as the APC candidate for Zaria Federal Constituency for his fifth term. Elsewhere, YUSUF MUHAMMADU BUHARI, the son of late former President MUHAMMADU BUHARI clinched the ticket of the APC for the Daura Federal Constituency in Katsina State. In Kebbi State; former Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Correctional Service, JAFAR AHMED JEGA, displaced the incumbent lawmaker, MANSUR MUSA JEGA, to emerge as the APC consensus candidate for Jega/Gwandu/Aleiro Federal Constituency. Similarly, a former Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs, YUSUF TANKO SUNUNU, was returned as the APC candidate for Yauri/Shanga/Ngaski Federal Constituency after withdrawing from the Senate race. Here in Lagos State; current Speaker of the House of Assembly, MUDASHIRU OBASA, clinched the APC ticket for Agege Federal Constituency election without any opposition to his bid. In a statement on his official Facebook page, OBASA expressed gratitude to party leaders, stakeholders, supporters and residents of Agege for the support and confidence reposed in him. Reports from Rivers State indicate that aspirants who are loyal PDP chieftain and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, NYESOM WIKE, emerged victorious as APC candidates for the 2027 elections. They include the current Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, MARTINS AMAEWHULE, who is eyeing the Obio-Akpor Federal Constituency seat, currently occupied by Representative KINGSLEY CHINDA. AMAEWHULE who defected from the PDP to the APC in the heat of the bitter political crises between NYESOM WIKE and Governor SIMINALAYI FUBARA, polled seventeen thousand, nine hundred and sixty-eight votes to clinch the ticket. Similarly, JOY NYEBUCHI won the APC ticket for Ikwerre/Emohua Federal Constituency, just as LINDA STEWART also emerged victorious in the APC primaries for Okrika/Ogu/Bolo Federal Constituency. In a related development; celebrity barman, PASCAL OKECHUKWU, popularly known as CUBANA CHIEF PRIEST, has lost his bid to clinch the APC ticket for Orsu/Orlu/Oru East Federal Constituency. PASCAL OKECHUKWU, who is one of the promoters of the City Boys Movement in support of the re-election of President BOLA TINUBU, reportedly scored fourteen votes in the primary election. However, CUBANA CHIEF PRIEST has dismissed the reports, saying he withdrew from the race after consultations with Governor HOPE UZODINMA and other party leaders, who explained that the ticket had been zoned to Orlu Local Government Area. In a series of messages on his social media handle, he reaffirmed his support for the re-election of President TINUBU, stressing that his commitment remained absolute and unwavering. Meanwhile, SEYI TINUBU, the son of President BOLA TINUBU, sent a message of solidarity to CUBANA CHIEF PRIEST via his Instagram story, sympathizing with him for losing, and encouraging him to keep his head up.