The All Progressives Congress (APC) has blocked three sitting senators who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from participating in its upcoming senatorial primary elections in their respective states.
The affected lawmakers include Senator Benson Agadaga, representing Bayelsa East; Senator Garba Maidoki of Kebbi South; and Senator Ipalibo Banigo of Rivers West, who notably served as deputy governor to current FCT Minister Nyesom Wike during his tenure as Rivers State governor.
Having previously dumped the PDP—the platform under which they won their Senate seats in 2023—to join the ruling APC, the lawmakers had hoped to clinch return tickets. However, their exclusion from the primaries has effectively closed that door.
Their disqualification, along with that of 44 other senatorial aspirants, was made public on Monday in an official statement signed by APC National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka.
The ruling party, which is holding its nationwide senatorial primaries today, gave no official reason for locking them out.
Among the trio, Senator Maidoki was the earliest to cross over to the APC.
The first-term lawmaker defected in May 2025 alongside fellow Kebbi State senators Adamu Aliero and Yahaya Abdullahi, following a high-profile meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa.
Senator Agadaga, also a first-timer in the red chamber, joined the APC in October 2025, closely following the defection of Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri.
At the time, his exit made headlines after he openly mocked his former party’s internal turmoil, famously remarking that the PDP’s umbrella symbol was “leaking and torn into shreds.”
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Meanwhile, Senator Banigo finalized her move to the APC in March 2026.
She explained that her departure from the PDP was driven by the party’s deep, ongoing leadership friction, which she characterized as completely irreconcilable.
This sudden disqualification is expected to heavily impact the political trajectories of the three senators ahead of the 2027 general elections.
