APC Revises Senate Primary Disqualification List, Drops Ben Murray-Bruce, Four Others

The ruling All Progressives Congress has revised its earlier list of senatorial aspirants barred from participating in the party’s Senate primary elections, removing five names — including former senator Ben Murray-Bruce — in an updated document released on Monday.

The updated list, signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, came shortly after the initial version was made public earlier in the day.

In the revised document, the number of affected aspirants was reduced from 47 to 44, although the party did not provide any explanation for the sudden changes.

Morka stated that the party was committed to ensuring transparency and orderliness throughout the ongoing primary election process.

Among the notable names removed from the earlier disqualification list was Murray-Bruce, who previously represented Bayelsa East Senatorial District in the National Assembly. His removal from the updated list has sparked fresh speculation over his clearance status, as the APC offered no official clarification.

Also dropped from the initial list were Chimzobam Kingsley Nnalue (Anambra North), Gyang Yaya Zi San (Plateau North), Napoleon Binkap Bah (Plateau South), and Usman Ephraim Gar (Plateau Central).

At the same time, the APC added two new entries from Nasarawa West. Ibrahim Bala was listed as “Not Cleared,” while Abdulkarim Abubakar Kana was recorded as having voluntarily withdrawn from the race.

The revised document also altered the status of several aspirants previously marked as “Not Cleared.”

Benson Agadaga of Bayelsa East and Donald Daunemigita of Bayelsa West were reclassified as having voluntarily withdrawn, while Garba Musa Mai Doki of Kebbi South was listed as having defected from the party. Adam Mouktar Mohammed of Jigawa South/West was marked absent from the screening exercise.

Several aspirants across states including Cross River, Nasarawa, Niger, Oyo, Rivers, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara, Adamawa, and the Federal Capital Territory remained on the updated list as “Not Cleared.”

The development comes amid heightened political maneuvering within the APC ahead of the party’s senatorial primaries, with stakeholders closely monitoring the screening and clearance process across the country.