APC senate primaries: Daniel, Amosun, Rochas crash, Abiodun, Uzodimma, Bello win

The ongoing All Progressives Congress (APC) Senatorial primary elections ahead of the 2027 general elections have triggered a massive political reshuffle. Termed by some political analysts as a "consensus coup," sitting and former governors are aggressively tightening their grip on legislative tickets, displacing prominent incumbents and veteran heavyweights.

Here is a breakdown of the key winners who secured tickets and the high-profile figures whose ambitions crashed:

The Winners (Tickets Secured)
Dapo Abiodun (Ogun East): The sitting Ogun State Governor successfully secured the APC senatorial ticket for Ogun East. This comes after weeks of intense maneuvering and endorsement by regional party stakeholders, positioning him to transition to the Red Chamber.

Hope Uzodimma (Imo West): Despite having time left in the Imo State Government House, Governor Uzodimma firmly established his dominance by clinching the Imo West APC ticket (polling over 230,000 votes). Reports indicate he is heavily backed by party governors with an eye on the Senate Presidency in the next assembly.

Yahaya Bello (Kogi Central): The former Governor of Kogi State has secured the APC ticket for Kogi Central, setting the stage for a high-stakes general election battle to unseat the current incumbent, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.

The Heavyweights Who Crashed
Gbenga Daniel: The incumbent Senator for Ogun East and former governor lost his grip on the ticket following a deepening, highly publicized political feud with Governor Dapo Abiodun over who controls the district.

Ibikunle Amosun: The former Ogun State Governor and political power broker failed to secure a pathway back to the Senate through the party structure during this primary cycle.

Rochas Okorocha: The former Imo State Governor’s structure was entirely eclipsed in Imo West, as Uzodimma's camp swept the internal party mechanisms to lock down the zone.

The Big Picture: This wave of outcomes underscores a growing trend across Nigeria's ruling party, where executive governors—both sitting and immediate-past—are utilizing absolute party leverage to displace veteran federal lawmakers and solidify their post-gubernatorial political careers in the National Assembly.