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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) may be headed for a legal and political dispute following the ruling party’s decision to revise its list of senatorial candidates for the 2027 elections. The controversy arose after the APC reinstated the tickets of six serving senators and made changes affecting candidates in nine states, despite earlier announcing different winners during its primary elections.
The revised list restored the candidacies of Sunday Karimi (Kogi West), Emmanuel Udende (Benue North-East), Titus Zam (Benue North-West), Shuaibu Isa Lau (Taraba North), Adeniyi Adegbonmire (Ondo Central) and Olajide Ipinsagba (Ondo North). It also replaced Edinburgh Erondu with former National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) CEO Prince Paul Ikonne as the party’s candidate for Abia South. However, INEC has maintained that it will reject any candidate whose name does not correspond with the outcome of the primary election monitored and officially recorded by the commission, setting the stage for a possible confrontation with the ruling party.
The development has raised fresh concerns over compliance with the Electoral Act and the credibility of party primaries ahead of the 2027 general elections. Legal experts say any disagreement between the APC and INEC over candidate substitutions could ultimately be resolved by the courts if the commission refuses to accept the revised nominations. The dispute is expected to shape the next phase of the electoral process as political parties finalize their candidate lists.
