Former lawmaker, Senator Ben Murray-Bruce has dismissed reports suggesting he was disqualified by the All Progressives Congress, APC, from its senatorial primary election process, insisting that he neither withdrew nor was disqualified.
The controversy followed an earlier APC publication listing several senatorial aspirants who were not cleared for the party’s primary elections ahead of the 2027 general elections, where his name appeared among those affected.
Reacting in a post on X, Bruce said the development prompted him to contact the APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, for clarification on the situation.
He maintained that he remained in the race and was not excluded from the process.
In an initial screening list, the APC had included Bruce among aspirants from Bayelsa East and Bayelsa West senatorial districts who were not cleared for participation.
However, the party later issued an updated list through its National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, reducing the number of affected aspirants from 47 to 44 and removing Bruce’s name.
The APC explained that the screening process was conducted in accordance with established procedures guiding candidate selection for the primaries.
It also urged stakeholders to maintain transparency, orderliness, and integrity throughout the ongoing exercise.
“The All Progressives Congress (APC) hereby releases an updated list of Senatorial aspirants not cleared to participate in the Party’s Senate Primary Elections,” the statement read.
“The APC urges all stakeholders to uphold transparency, orderliness, and the integrity of the ongoing Primary Election process.”
The revised list still includes several aspirants across states such as Bayelsa, Rivers, Kebbi, and Jigawa, among others.
The party has not yet provided further clarification on the reasons behind the changes to the screening list.
