No fewer than 44 senatorial aspirants have been disqualified from participating in the All Progressives Congress APC Senate primary elections, with prominent names including Rivers politician Tein Jack-Rich among those who did not scale the party’s screening exercise.
This was even as the party has now deleted the names of former Bayelsa East Senator Ben Murray-Bruce, Anambra North aspirant Chimzobam Kingsley Nnalue, from the “not cleared” list.
The APC released the updated list on Monday in a statement signed by National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka, saying the screening was conducted by the party’s screening committees in accordance with established procedures and guidelines.
The document, titled “Updated List of Senatorial Aspirants Not Cleared,” contains 44 names — three fewer than the 47 on a version earlier in circulation.
Dropped from the official document are Murray-Bruce, who had been listed for Bayelsa East; Nnalue, listed for Anambra North; and Gyang Yaya Zi San (Plateau North).
Rivers State recorded the highest number of disqualifications, with five aspirants from the West Senatorial District alone failing to make the cut — among them Jack-Rich, Chief Dr. Tamunobaabo Wemike Danagogo, Oyukaye Flag Amachree and Banigo Ipalibo — while Chief Barry Balera Mwara was disqualified from the South/East Senatorial District.
Zamfara State returned the single largest bloc of disqualifications, with seven aspirants knocked out across the Central, North and West senatorial districts.
Bayelsa State accounts for two confirmed disqualifications on the official document — Senator Benson S. Agadaga from the East Senatorial District, who is listed as a voluntary withdrawal, and Donald Daunemigita from the West, also listed as a voluntary withdrawal — with Murray-Bruce’s status now unclear following his omission from the updated list.
Oyo State featured prominently, with five aspirants disqualified across the Central, North and South senatorial districts, including Mr. Kolapoboye Kola Daisi (South) and Ajimobi Wasiu Adegboyega (North).
Other states represented on the official list include Adamawa, Cross River, Delta, the Federal Capital Territory, Jigawa, Kebbi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Taraba and Yobe.
The full list of disqualified aspirants, as contained in the APC’s official updated document, is as follows:
- Sen. Benson S. Agadaga – Bayelsa East
- Daniel Effiong Asuquo – Cross River South
- Oden Ibiang O Ewa – Cross River Central
- Dr. Marian Nnamaka Ogoh-Ali – Delta North
- Sen. Usman J. Wowo – FCT
- Abubakar Umar Abdullahi – FCT
- Adam Mouktar Mohammed – Jigawa South/West
- Sen. Garba Musa Mai Doki – Kebbi South
- Kollo B. Jiya – Kwara North
- Amb. Olutola John Onijala – Kwara South
- Awolola Muritala – Kwara South
- Adeleke Emmanuel Gbenga – Kwara South
- Abdullahi Tanko Zubairu – Nasarawa South
- Usman Muhammed Elegu – Nasarawa South
- Alhaji Dr. Yusuf Moh’d Agabi – Nasarawa South
- Ari Ali Muhammed – Nasarawa South
- Muhammed Rabiu Sadiq – Niger South
- Hon. Muhammed Bello A. – Niger South
- Bello Bawa Bwari – Niger East
- Ademola Wasiu Alli – Oyo Central
- Ajimobi Wasiu Adegboyega – Oyo North
- Mr. Kolapoboye Kola Daisi – Oyo South
- Faozey Oladotun Nurudeen – Oyo Central
- Hon. Hameed Afeez Repete – Oyo Central
- Amb. Pst. Akinremi Alade Bolaji – Oyo South
- Bello Abudullahi Bodejo – Taraba Central
- Ojukaye Flag Amachree – Rivers West
- Chief Dr. Tamunobaabo Wemike Danagogo – Rivers West
- Jack-Rich Tein T.S – Rivers West
- Banigo Ipalibo – Rivers West
- Chief Barry Balera Mwara – Rivers South/East
- Hon. Hassan H. Kafayos – Yobe North
- Sanusi Ibrahim Garachi – Zamfara Central
- Aliyu Abubakar – Zamfara Central
- Muhammad Bashir Maru – Zamfara Central
- Hassan Muhammad Gusau – Zamfara Central
- Abubakar H. Moriiki – Zamfara North
- Bilyaminu Yusuf – Zamfara North
- Isyaka Ajiya Anka – Zamfara West
- Ibrahim Bala – Nasarawa West
- Prof. Abdulkarim Abubakar Kana, SAN – Nasarawa West (Voluntary Withdrawal)
- Hon. Hamish Idris – Adamawa North
- Hon. Abdurman Kwacham – Adamawa North
- Donald Daunemigita – Bayelsa West (Voluntary Withdrawal)
