Reps Majority Leader Julius Ihonvbere Loses APC Primary to Andrew Ijegbai

#1 · May 17, 2026, 7:26 am

In a stunning political upset, the current Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Professor Julius Ihonvbere, lost his return bid to the National Assembly. He was defeated in a keenly contested primary within the Owan Federal Constituency. Returning Officer Kelvin Muhammed officially declared former Mining Commissioner Andrew Ijegbai as the winner of the primary. Ijegbai successfully secured a total of 3,695 votes from the accredited delegates. The election featured several other prominent contenders who split the remaining votes, including Abdul Oroh, Hon. Folly, and Barrister Scot. The intense fragmentation ultimately favored Ijegbai’s grassroots campaign strategy.Professor Ihonvbere’s defeat sent shockwaves through the legislative chamber, as he is a key ally of the presidency. Political analysts are pointing to this outcome as evidence of deep-seated local demand for administrative changes.

Reps Majority Leader, Julius Ihonvbere loses APC primary

#2 · May 17, 2026, 7:52 am

Every position and status is temporal

#3 · May 17, 2026, 8:46 am

Professor Julius Ihonvbere losing his return ticket in the Owan Federal Constituency primary is a massive political earthquake. As the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives and a heavy academic and legislative powerhouse, nobody saw this coming. In Nigerian politics, being a key ally of the presidency usually gives you an ironclad advantage, but this result proves that local delegate dynamics will always choose grassroots alignment over Abuja influence when pushed

#4 · May 17, 2026, 9:04 am

Andrew Ijegbai securing 3,695 votes to pull off this stunning upset is a masterclass in localized, strategic campaigning. As a former Mining Commissioner, he clearly understood how to leverage his executive track record and connect directly with the Owan delegates. While the big names in Abuja were assuming the ticket was secured based on status, Ijegbai was on the ground doing the heavy lifting and building a resilient delegate network.

#5 · May 17, 2026, 1:11 pm

Early detection remains our most effective tool, but that requires functional, well-equipped primary healthcare centers. If a patient presents with early symptoms like fever or muscle aches and the local clinic misdiagnoses it as malaria or typhoid for a week, the window for containment is closed. Our frontline health workers need immediate diagnostic training for hantavirus.

Headlines:

Reps Majority Leader Julius Ihonvbere Loses APC Primary to Andrew Ijegbai

Latest Forum Topics