Senate Leadership Seeks to Reverse Primary Setbacks as 40 Senators Miss Re-Election Tickets

President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has moved to calm tensions among senators who lost their party tickets in the recently concluded primary elections across the country, amid efforts to reduce the number of political casualties ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Akpabio made the intervention on Thursday while welcoming senators back from a three-week recess, during which many lawmakers participated in their respective party primaries.

While some members of the Senate leadership secured their re-election tickets unopposed, the primaries produced significant upsets, leaving an estimated 40 serving senators unable to clinch their party nominations, while about 60 others were successful across different political platforms.

In his remarks, Akpabio congratulated those who emerged victorious and urged affected lawmakers to remain committed to the broader democratic process despite their setbacks.

“I know that there will always be victories and disappointments, yet above every individual triumph stands a greater triumph, the triumph of democracy itself,” he said.

However, behind the conciliatory tone, the Senate President hinted at behind-the-scenes efforts aimed at assisting some of the affected senators to regain party tickets, noting that the leadership was actively engaging political stakeholders.

He also disclosed that the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, was working to “reduce the level of casualties” and explore possible pathways for reconciliation and re-nomination for some of the affected lawmakers.

Akpabio’s remarks come amid growing political uncertainty within the upper chamber as lawmakers brace for intense party negotiations ahead of the next election cycle.