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The National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has dropped former Governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam, former Ondo State House of Representatives member, Gbenga Elegbeleye, and five other senatorial candidates from the final lists of the party’s candidates forwarded to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Also contained in the final lists of dropped and replaced candidates forwarded to the electoral commission are 19 House of Representatives candidates that emerged victorious in the party’s primary elections held in May.

According to the document, the states affected include Kogi, Abia, Benue, Taraba, Ondo, Niger, Kwara, Kaduna and Ebonyi.

In the correspondence sent to the electoral umpire and signed by both the National Chairman and National Secretary, Nentawe Yilwatda and Ajibola Basiru respectively, the party’s national leadership attributed the changes to the report of the Primary Election Appeal Committee.

Titled “Forwarding of approved list of senatorial and House of Representatives candidates”, the letter read:

“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 NWC of the APC as the party’s final position on the affected constituencies.

“In accordance with the Electoral Act 2022 (as amended) 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. Please accept the assurances of our highest regards,” it read.

The affected senatorial candidates and their replacements include Kogi West, where Senator Sunday Karimi replaced Aro Samuel Bamidele; Abia South Senatorial District, where Edinburgh Uchenna Erondu was replaced by Prince Paul Ikonne; Benue North East Senatorial District, where Gabriel Suswam was replaced by Emmanuel Memga Udende; and Benue North West, where Titus Tartenger Zam replaced Benjamin T. Aber.

Others are Taraba North Senatorial District, where Mohammed Kabir Bello was replaced by Shuibu Isa Lau; Ondo Central, where Taiwo Fasoranti was substituted by Adeniyi Adegbonmire; and Ondo North Senatorial District, where Gbenga Elegbeleye was replaced by Olajide Ipinsagba.

In the House of Representatives list, in Benue, Dickson Tarkighir replaced Ikper Chris Terfa in Makurdi/Guma Federal Constituency; Sesoo Ikpagher replaced Livinus Tsar Adzor in Vandeikya/Konshisha Federal Constituency; Terser Ugbor substituted Kohol Shedrach Iornem in Kwande/Ushongo Federal Constituency; Sekav Dzua Iyortyom replaced Gideon Inyom in Buruku Federal Constituency; while Nongo David was replaced by Austin Asema Achado in Gwer East/Gwer West Federal Constituency.

In Taraba, Peter Abel Diah’s name was forwarded to INEC to replace Sanusi Mohammed Galadima in Gashaka/Kurmi/Sardauna Federal Constituency, while Abubakar Lado Abdullahi substituted Adamu Tanko in Suleja/Tafa/Gurara Federal Constituency, and Adamu Suleiman replaced Adamu Usman in Lavun/Edati/Mokwa Federal Constituency in Niger State.

In Kwara, Raheem Tunji Olawuyi replaced Olasumbo Florence Oyeyemi in Ekiti/Irepodun/Oke-Ero Federal Constituency, while Mohammed Mamman substituted Bello Tauheed Abubakar in Edu/Patigi/Moro Federal Constituency.

In Ondo, Donald Ojogo replaced Akingboye Leke in Ilaje/Ese-Odo Federal Constituency; Festus Olarewaju replaced Rasaq Obe in Idanre Federal Constituency; Oluwatimehin Akintomide replaced Kayode Ijalana in Owo/Ose Federal Constituency; Okunjinmi John Odimayo replaced Olumuyiwa Daramola in Okitipupa/Irele Federal Constituency; Michel Olamidotun Akintomide substituted Abiola Makinde in Ondo West/Ondo East Federal Constituency; while Festus Ayodele Adefiranye replaced Oyerinmade Matthew in Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo/Odigbo Federal Constituency.

In Kaduna, Abia and Ebonyi, the ruling party forwarded the name of Abdulazeez Kaka as replacement for Samaila Abdu Suleiman in Kaduna North Federal Constituency; Samuel Okezie as replacement for Chris Nkwonta in Ukwa East/Ukwa West Federal Constituency in Abia State; and Ekumankama Joseph Nkama replaced Iduma Igariwey Enwo in Afikpo North/Edda Federal Constituency, Ebonyi State.

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A chieftain of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Hon. Fyneman Wilson, has officially defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing the opposition party as a “sole proprietorship” that is “heading nowhere.”

Wilson announced his resignation from the NDC yesterday, alongside his supporters from across Bayelsa State, who joined the APC during a reception at the Golden Tulip, Government House, Onopa.

Speaking at the event, Wilson said his decision to leave the NDC was driven by what he described as the party’s lack of internal democracy and collective leadership, alleging that it had become a “one-man show” with no clear future.

The defection ceremony was attended by key leaders of the Bayelsa APC, including the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Dr Peter Akpe; former Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Peremobowei Ebebi, Bayelsa APC State Secretary, Barr. Odoji Japan and other party stakeholders.

Also present was Hon. Living Mitin, member representing Ekeremor Constituency II in the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, who joined other APC leaders in formally receiving Wilson and his supporters into the ruling party.

Fyneman’s defection is a significant boost for the APC in Bayelsa State, coming amid ongoing political realignments ahead of future elections.

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The vice presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress, NDC, Rabiu Kwankwaso on Sunday met with the National Leader of the party, Seriake Dickson over the recent court ruling on the party’s registration by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

Gistcore recalls that the Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja, Kogi State, on Friday vacated its December 10, 2025 judgment which compelled the electoral body to register the NDC as a political party.

In the ruling delivered in suit No. FHC/LKJ/CS/49/2025, Justice Isah Dashen held that the earlier judgment was delivered without hearing all necessary parties, making the proceedings constitutionally defective.

The court’s decision followed an application by the Peace Movement Party, which argued that it had a legal interest in the matter and should have been joined in the suit before judgment was delivered.

The decision of the court has been raising dust as opposition parties accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of plotting to manipulate the judiciary.

In a post on his official Facebook page on Sunday, Senator Dickson confirmed the meeting with Kwankwaso, saying that they “discussed issues of mutual interest concerning our party”.

The NDC leader stated that himself and other leaders of the party have resolved to reject alleged one-party democracy.

“We reaffirmed our resolve to stand together in the fight for multi-party democracy, and I briefed him on the measures the party is taking to correct and redress the distractions occasioned by the anomalous ruling of the Federal High Court. We are on course,” he added.