May 18, (THEWILL) — The All Progressives Congress (APC) has revised its list of senatorial aspirants barred from participating in the party’s Senate primary elections, removing five names, including former Senator Ben Murray-Bruce, in a move that has generated fresh political intrigue ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The updated list, released on Monday and signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, reduced the number of affected aspirants from 47 to 44.
The revision came shortly after the party initially published a list of aspirants who were either not cleared, had voluntarily withdrawn, defected, or failed to appear for screening.
In the updated statement, the APC said the move was aimed at preserving transparency and credibility in the ongoing primary election process.
“The All Progressives Congress (APC) hereby releases an updated list of Senatorial aspirants not cleared to participate in the Party’s Senate Primary Elections. The APC urges all stakeholders to uphold transparency, orderliness, and the integrity of the ongoing Primary Election process,” the statement read.
Among the most prominent changes was the removal of former Bayelsa East senator, Ben Murray-Bruce, from the disqualification list.
Murray-Bruce had appeared in the earlier version issued by the party, but his name was omitted in the revised list without any official clarification regarding his screening status or eligibility.
Also removed from the updated list were Chimzobam Kingsley Nnalue (Anambra North), Gyang Yaya Zi San (Plateau North), Napoleon Binkap Bah (Plateau South), and Usman Ephraim Gar (Plateau Central).
The APC, however, added two new entries from Nasarawa West Senatorial District. Ibrahim Bala was listed as “Not Cleared,” while Abdulkarim Abubakar Kana was recorded as having voluntarily withdrawn from the race.
The revised document also reflected changes in the status of some aspirants previously marked as disqualified.
Benson Agadaga of Bayelsa East and Donald Daunemigita of Bayelsa West were redesignated as having voluntarily withdrawn from the contest.
Similarly, Garba Musa Mai Doki from Kebbi South was listed as having defected from the party, while Adam Mouktar Mohammed from Jigawa South/West was said to have failed to appear for screening.
The updated list of affected aspirants cuts across several states, including Cross River, Delta, the Federal Capital Territory, Jigawa, Kebbi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Oyo, Rivers, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara, Adamawa, and Bayelsa.
Among notable names retained on the list are former Rivers Deputy Governor, Ipalibo Banigo, businessman Tein Jack-Rich, and Tamunobaabo Danagogo, all from Rivers West Senatorial District.
Others include Ajimobi Wasiu Adegboyega from Oyo North, Kolapoboye Kola Daisi from Oyo South, and several aspirants from Zamfara Central and Nasarawa South who were marked “Not Cleared.”
The APC has yet to provide detailed reasons for the disqualification of individual aspirants or explain the basis for the sudden review of the earlier list.
Nonetheless, the ruling party maintained that the screening and clearance exercise remains part of its broader commitment to internal democracy and an orderly nomination process ahead of the forthcoming primaries.
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