The All Progressives Congress (APC) has refused to clear three sitting senators who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to participate in the party’s senatorial primary elections in their respective states.

The senators are Benson Agadaga, who represents Bayelsa East; Garba Maidoki (Kebbi South) and Ipalibo Banigo (Rivers West). Mrs Banigo was deputy to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, when the latter was Rivers State governor.

The lawmakers separately defected from the PDP, the platform on which they were elected to the Senate in 2023, to the ruling APC. They had sought to secure return tickets under their new party, but their disqualification from the primaries has effectively shut them out of the race.

Their disqualification, alongside that of 44 other senatorial aspirants, was announced in a statement issued on Monday by the APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka. However, the party, which holds its senatorial primaries today nationwide, did not provide a reason for the action.

Of the three senators, Mr Maidoki, a first-term lawmaker, was the first to join the ruling party. He defected in May 2025 alongside two other senators from Kebbi State, Adamu Aliero and Yahaya Abdullahi, after meeting President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa.

Mr Agadaga, also a first-term senator, joined the APC in October 2025 shortly after Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri defected to the ruling party. His defection attracted attention after he mocked the PDP over its lingering internal crisis, saying the party’s symbol, the umbrella, was “leaking and torn into shreds.”

Mrs Ipalibo, a former deputy governor of Rivers State, defected to the APC in March 2026. She said her decision to leave the PDP was informed by the party’s prolonged leadership crisis, which she described as irreconcilable.

The disqualification of the three senators may significantly alter their political futures ahead of the 2027 general elections, particularly because the APC did not provide any official reason for excluding them from the senatorial primaries.

In Nigeria’s political history, the refusal of parties to clear aspirants for primaries is often linked to internal party calculations, zoning arrangements, loyalty concerns, disputes over the duration of party membership, or allegations of anti-party activities. In some cases, aspirants have also been screened out over incomplete documentation, litigation, failure to meet internal requirements, or pressure from influential blocs within the party.

For the affected senators, the immediate implication is that they may lose the opportunity to return to the Senate under the APC platform unless the party reverses its decision following appeals or political negotiations.

The situation could further trigger fresh political realignments in their respective states. Some lawmakers may challenge their disqualification internally through the party’s appeal mechanisms or in court, while others may explore alternative platforms if reconciliation fails. Such disputes, however, are common during election seasons and are often resolved through negotiations among party leaders and power blocs.

Over the years, several politicians who defected shortly before elections struggled to secure tickets because established party loyalists resisted newcomers taking strategic positions.

In previous election cycles, both the APC and the PDP disqualified aspirants over issues ranging from disputed delegate lists and forged certificates to questions surrounding party membership status and failure to comply with screening guidelines.

In some instances, aspirants alleged that disqualifications were politically motivated and designed to favour preferred candidates backed by governors, ministers, or influential party leaders.

Peter Obi, the former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, has been confirmed as the sole aspirant for the presidential ticket of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in the lead-up to the 2027 general election.

This development comes after the closure of the sale of Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms for the party’s presidential primary, with party insiders reporting that Obi was the only candidate to complete the necessary process before the deadline.

In contrast, the NDC has announced an extension for aspirants seeking positions in other elective offices across the nation. This extension impacts roles such as governorship, Senate, House of Representatives, and State Houses of Assembly.

According to a statement from the party’s National Secretary, Mr. Ikenna Morgan Enekweizu, the deadline for collecting Expression of Interest Forms for these categories has been postponed from May 17 to May 24, 2026.

It is important to note that this extension does not apply to the presidential race, as the party has officially closed the window for presidential aspirants.

With Obi being the only candidate, there is growing speculation that he may be positioned as the consensus candidate for the NDC in the upcoming election cycle.

Obi recently joined the NDC after parting ways with the African Democratic Congress, ADC, a move that sparked fresh political conversations within opposition circles and among his supporters nationwide.

According to the timetable released by the party, screening of aspirants will begin on Tuesday, May 19, and end on May 26. The process will cover aspirants who successfully purchased and submitted their completed forms.

The party also fixed May 20 to May 26 for the collection and return of Nomination Forms by aspirants who scale through the screening stage.

The NDC warned that no further extension would be granted after the new deadline and urged aspirants to strictly comply with the timetable and submission guidelines.

It directed all aspirants to appear before screening and pre-qualification panels with relevant documents, including educational certificates, birth certificates or age declarations, passport photographs, voter’s cards, party membership cards and curriculum vitae.

According to the party, all documents are expected to be submitted in six copies to the Screening Committee.

The NDC further explained that aspirants would be assessed based on competence, capacity, character and acceptability among the electorate, while local political realities would also be considered during the screening exercise.

The party added that its affirmative action policy would remain a major consideration, especially for women, youths and persons living with disabilities seeking elective positions under its platform.

It also encouraged aspirants to embrace consensus arrangements where necessary in order to strengthen internal unity ahead of the elections.

The All Progressives Congress, APC, has released the list of senatorial aspirants not cleared to participate in the party’s senatorial primary elections.

The list was attached to a statement issued by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka.

The statement reads, “The All Progressives Congress (APC) hereby releases the list of senatorial aspirants not cleared to participate in the Party’s Senate Primary Election.

“The screening exercise was conducted by the Party’s Screening Committees in accordance with established procedures and guidelines.”