The All Progressives Congress (APC) demonstrated its electoral strength by winning 12 of the 16 legislative seats contested in Saturday’s bye-elections across 12 states in Nigeria.
The APC won all seats in Ogun, Edo, Niger, Kaduna, Taraba, Jigawa, Adamawa, and Kogi. It shared two seats in Kano with the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) but lost to the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Anambra and to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo.
Despite the APC’s dominance, opposition parties expressed strong dissatisfaction with the election process. The PDP, African Democratic Congress (ADC), and Labour Party (LP) criticized the bye-elections, alleging widespread rigging, intimidation, vote buying, violence, and administrative irregularities.
They warned that a repeat of such flawed elections in 2027 could be disastrous for Nigeria’s democracy.
The ADC described the elections as corrupt and not reflective of their actual support, emphasizing the degradation of Nigeria’s electoral process under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
The LP called the elections a “mockery of democracy” and accused APC agents, INEC officials, and security personnel of orchestrating electoral hijacking. The PDP also pointed to evidence of vote buying and partisanship.
Meanwhile, the APC hailed the results as a clear endorsement of President Tinubu’s administration and its Renewed Hope Agenda aimed at national transformation.
The party congratulated its victorious candidates and praised INEC and security agencies for maintaining peace despite incidents of violence.
In Kano, the APC and NNPP split two seats contested, with APC winning the Ghari/Tsanyawa seat and NNPP winning Shanono/Bagwai. Both parties contested the legitimacy of some results, with APC alleging no election took place in one area and NNPP planning legal challenges.
In Anambra, APGA won two seats, reinforcing its regional strength, while the PDP maintained a foothold in Oyo with one seat.
The bye-elections are seen as a political bellwether for the 2027 general elections, reflecting the ruling party’s organizational might and opposition challenges ahead.
