Senate President Urges APC to Release Candidates’ List, Warns Delay Causing Anxiety Among Lawmakers
Njideka Ozoalor
Senate President Godswill Akpabio has appealed to the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to ensure members of the National Assembly are adequately carried along in the party’s final list of candidates, warning that delays in releasing the outcome of recent primaries are creating anxiety among lawmakers.
Akpabio made the appeal on Wednesday during the inauguration of the APC National Campaign Council for the June 20, 2026 Ekiti State Governorship Election.
In a light-hearted but pointed remark, the Senate President joked that some lawmakers were already “developing hypertension” as a result of the prolonged wait for the release of the party’s final list, nearly three weeks after the APC conducted primaries across the country.
“I am pleading with the party that when they bring out their final list, they need to show that they are carrying all of us along,” Akpabio said.He noted that after meetings of the party’s working committees, some members of both the Senate and the House of Representatives often feel excluded when lists are eventually released.
Drawing laughter from the audience, Akpabio remarked: “Some of my people are having hypertension. So, they are really coming down with hypertension.”
The Senate President stressed the importance of inclusivity within the party, urging the APC leadership to ensure elected lawmakers do not feel sidelined in party structures and decisions.
While acknowledging the prerogative of governors and the President to choose members of their teams, Akpabio insisted that candidates who failed to secure victory in party primaries should not expect to be reintroduced through political influence.
“You have the absolute right to choose anybody you want and then for the President of Nigeria, he also has the right to make his choice. But when anybody has lost the election on the ground, please don’t expect me, as chairman of the National Assembly, to come and plead with you to put the person back on the list,” he said.
He congratulated those who emerged victorious in the APC primaries and advised unsuccessful aspirants to learn from the experience and prepare better for future contests.
“The Senate President, as chairman of the National Assembly, is saying that you should have done your homework well before going for the primaries,” he added.
Akpabio, however, expressed optimism about the APC’s electoral prospects, praying for victory in the forthcoming Ekiti governorship election and future polls, including the 2027 general elections.
“When the party meets, we shall endorse, and may God Almighty grant us victory in the elections, and grant us victory in justice,” he declared.
His remarks added a mix of humour and political messaging to the inauguration ceremony, underscoring the need for party unity while emphasizing respect for the outcome of internal democratic processes.
As the Ekiti governorship election approaches, the APC leadership faces the challenge of balancing inclusiveness, loyalty and merit in shaping its campaign structures and political appointments.
