From Attah Ede, Makurdi
The National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has upturned some of the results of the Senate and House of Representatives primaries held in various senatorial zones and federal constituencies in Benue State.
In the latest results, those who lost out in the National Working Committee final decision were those who won earlier as the party’s candidates during the primaries held in the three senatorial districts and eleven federal constituencies in the State.
In the review of the results by the national secretariat of the party, two senatorial and five house of representatives candidates loyal to Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia who were declared winners during the primaries lost their tickets to the NWC’s preferred candidates backed by Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. George Akume.
A letter dated June 29, 2026, addressed to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), sighted by our correspondent, forwarded the party’s approved list of senatorial and House of Representatives candidates after the determination of appeals by the Primary Election Appeal Committees.
The letter, signed by the APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, and the National Secretary, Senator Surajudeen Ajibola Basiru, declared that the reviewed list represented the final position of the party on the affected constituencies.
This is coming after the reports of the appeal committees were considered and approved by the National Working Committee in line with the Electoral Act and INEC guidelines.
The review showed major changes in the state and saw the party replacing two of its three senatorial candidates and five out eleven House of Representatives candidates affected by the appeals.
For the Senate, incumbent Senator Emmanuel Udende backed by SGF Akume replaced former Benue State Governor, Senator Gabriel Suswam who was anointed candidate of Governor Alia as the APC candidate for Benue North East Senatorial District, while Senator Titus Zam another loyalist of SGF Akume emerged in place of Mr. Benjamin I. Aber for Benue Northwest Senatorial District.
The Benue South Senatorial ticket was not affected by the review, with ex- house of representatives member for Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo federal constituency Francis Agbo as the candidate.
In the House of Representatives, Hon. Terseer Ugbor replaced Mr .Kohol Shedrack Iornem for Kwande/Ushongo Federal Constituency, while Hon. Sekav Iyortyom Dzua displaced Mr. Gideone, loyalist of governor Alia for the Federal Constituency seat.
The NWC also replaced other Alia loyalists, Hon. Ikper Chris Terfa with Hon. Dickson Tarkighir for Makurdi/Guma Federal Constituency and Dr. Livinus Tsar with Engr. Sesoo Ikpagher for Vandeikyaa/Konshisha Federal Constituency.
Similarly, Dr. Nongo T. David lost the APC ticket for GwerEast/GwerWest Federal Constituency to Hon. Architect Austin Asema Achado.
With this new development, apart from Hon. Anthony Attah Agom of Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo, and Hon. Dr. Peter Egbodo of Oju/Obi federal constituencies, five House of Representatives members secured return tickets to the House of Representatives for the 2027 general elections.
Also, the two serving senators under the platform of APC, including Emmanuel Udende and Titus Zam, got APC return tickets.
The elaborate substitutions now make Benue State one of the states most affected by the APC’s post-primary appeal process, swiftly overturning the outcomes of many constituency primaries conducted earlier by the party.
However, the results of the other three candidates were not changed.
Those whose results were not changed are; Hon. Prince Solomon Wombo, the candidate for Katsina-Ala/Log/Ukum federal constituency; Lady Blessing Onuh for Otukpo/Ohimini federal constituency; Chief Mrs. Regina Akume for Gboko/Tarka federal constituency and Pastor Ojotu Ojema for Akure Apa/Agatu federal constituency.
This developments is expected to deepen political intrigues within the Benue APC, as several of the aspirants whose victories were reversed had earlier celebrated their emergence from the party primaries.
The out come of the NWC would further trigger political tensions amongst supporters of Governor Alia and those of the Secretary to the government of the federal federation, Sen. George Akume.
