The political landscape for the 2027 general elections is officially taking shape. Following the APC House of Representatives primary elections conducted across various states, several high-profile lawmakers clinched their return tickets, while a few political giants and a popular celebrity suffered shocking defeats.

Here is a breakdown of the biggest winners, losers, and major talking points from the weekend's primaries.

🏆 The Big Winners (Returning Heavyweights)

Key leadership figures in the National Assembly and experienced lawmakers effortlessly cruised to victory, many returning unopposed:

  • Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen (Speaker, House of Reps): Returned unopposed for the Zaria Federal Constituency (Kaduna).

  • Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu (Deputy Speaker): Secured his return ticket.

  • Rt. Hon. Mudasiru Obasa (Lagos Assembly Speaker): Returned unopposed for Agege Federal Constituency.

  • James Faleke: Secured the Ikeja/Ojodu ticket (Lagos).

  • Yusuf Gagdi: Endorsed for Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam (Plateau).

  • Ndudi Elumelu: Won the ticket for Aniocha/Oshimili (Delta).

  • Leke Abejide: Secured the Yagba ticket unopposed (Kogi) following his recent defection from the ADC.

🛑 The Shocking Loses & Upsets

The biggest shockwaves came from Edo State, where an existing rotation agreement and party defections rewrote the script, alongside a high-profile celebrity defeat in the South-East:

  • Julius Ihonvbere (House Majority Leader): Lost his third-term bid for Owan Federal Constituency (Edo) to Andrew Ijegbai, due to an unwritten rotation agreement between Owan East and Owan West.

  • Eseosa Iyawe: Lost the Oredo ticket (Edo) to Dr. Paddy Iyamu after defecting from the Labour Party to the APC.

  • Cubana Chief Priest (Pascal Okechukwu): The popular celebrity businessman failed to secure his ticket.

  • Incumbent Casualties: Four serving lawmakers from Imo State and two from Nasarawa State failed to clinch return tickets.

👶 The Political Scions: A New Generation Rises

A prominent feature of the 2026 primaries was the emergence of sons of former Nigerian leaders and political icons winning tickets:

Candidate Background / Lineage Constituency Won
Yusuf Buhari Son of late former President Muhammadu Buhari Making his first-ever bid for the Green Chamber
Adamu Abubakar Son of former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar Chanchaga Federal Constituency (Niger) — polled a massive 30,650 votes
Olumide Osoba Son of former Ogun Governor, Chief Olusegun Osoba Owode/Abeokuta North/Odeda (Ogun)
Sadiq Ango Abdullahi Son of former ABU Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ango Abdullahi Sabon Gari Federal Constituency (Kaduna)

🗺️ State-by-State Highlights & Drama

1. Lagos State: The Strongholds Remain Solid

Beyond Obasa and Faleke, major wins were recorded by Jimi Benson (Ikorodu), Fuad Atanda Lawal (Eti-Osa), and Fuad Laguda (Surulere). In Kosofe, Mayor Dele Oshinowo defeated three opponents, including Kafilat Ogbara, to secure his ticket.

2. Kaduna State: Peaceful Victories Met with Protests

While Speaker Abbas Tajudeen celebrated a unified endorsement, controversy hit Kaduna North. Samaila Abdul Suleiman won by a landslide (3,049 votes), but runner-up Abdulaziz Abubakar Kaka's campaign rejected the results, calling it a "rape on democracy" and alleging that election materials were deliberately withheld from his strongholds.

3. Edo State: Parallel Primaries & Confusion

While state party chairman Emperor Jarret Tenebe praised the exercise as the "freest and fairest," confusion trailed the Esan West/Igueben/Esan Central constituency. Both Marcus Onobun (recent PDP defector) and Lucky Eseigbe (backed by Governor Okpebholo) claimed parallel victories.

4. Niger State: Landslide Victories

Alongside Adamu Abubakar’s landslide, Abdullahi Mahmud dominated Lapai Federal Constituency with 8,559 votes, while Prof. Yakubu Auna claimed victory in Magama/Rijau.