High-profile names, including former lawmakers and political heavyweights, fail to scale party’s screening process in multiple senatorial districts nationwide.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has disqualified no fewer than 47 senatorial aspirants from contesting in its upcoming party primaries, a move that signals intensifying internal vetting as the party prepares for the next electoral cycle.

The list, which cuts across several states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), includes a mix of former lawmakers, political appointees, and influential party figures. Among those not cleared are former Bayelsa East Senator Ben Murray-Bruce, Senator Benson Agadaga, and prominent Rivers State figures such as Tamunobaabo Danagogo, Ipalibo Banigo, and Tein Jack-Rich.

In Oyo State alone, multiple aspirants across all three senatorial districts were affected, including Kolapoboye Daisi, Wasiu Ajimobi, and Akinremi Bolaji, underscoring the scale of the screening exercise.

Other states with notable disqualifications include Zamfara, which recorded the highest number of affected aspirants, as well as Niger, Nasarawa, Plateau, Rivers, and Kwara states.

While the party has yet to publicly outline detailed reasons for each disqualification, such screening processes typically assess eligibility based on constitutional requirements, party loyalty, documentation, and compliance with internal guidelines.

The development is expected to trigger political realignments and possible appeals from affected aspirants, as party primaries draw closer. Analysts say the outcome of the screening could reshape the APC’s senatorial contests and influence broader political dynamics ahead of the general elections.