‘Some Of My People Are Having Hypertension’ – Akpabio Speaks On Lawmakers Who Lost APC Ticket

Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has blamed the failure of some National Assembly members to secure return tickets during party primaries on poor grassroots preparation.

Naija News reports that Akpabio said many lawmakers were currently battling political anxiety after losing out in the primaries.

He spoke on Wednesday in Abuja during the inauguration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Campaign Council for the June 20, 2026, Ekiti State governorship election.

The Senate President urged lawmakers to stop relying on his intervention after failing to win elections at the grassroots.

He said party supremacy must be respected and upheld.

“I am only pleading with the party that when they bring out their final list, then they need to show that they are carrying all of us along. Some of my people are having hypertension,” Akpabio stated.

He added that while the President and state governors had the constitutional right to make political choices, lawmakers must prepare properly before facing party members.

Akpabio further stated, “When anybody has lost the election on the ground, please don’t expect me, as Chairman of the National Assembly, to come and plead with you (Party leadership) to put the person on the list. It simply means the person has lost.

“So, I want to congratulate those who won the primaries, and then plead with my colleagues, both in the House of Representatives and the Senate, that you should have done your homework well before going for the primaries.”

Ekiti Poll Referendum – Uba Sani

Speaking at the event, Kaduna State Governor and Chairman of the Ekiti State National Campaign Council, Senator Uba Sani, described the forthcoming governorship election as a referendum on the performance of Governor Biodun Oyebanji.

Sani said the APC had set a target of over 500,000 votes for Oyebanji in the election.

According to him, the party is aiming to more than double the 187,557 votes recorded during the 2022 governorship election.

Sani said, “Our goal for the upcoming election is ambitious yet achievable. We are targeting an increase of over 100 per cent in the number of votes for Governor Oyebanji, and a margin of no less than 500,000 votes over his closest rival.

“This is not just a numerical target; it symbolises our commitment to ensuring that the voice of the people is amplified and their trust in good governance is rewarded.”

Sani said the campaign council had established effective structures across the 16 local government areas and 177 wards in Ekiti State.

He said the structures would drive grassroots mobilisation for Oyebanji’s re-election bid.

The Kaduna governor added that Oyebanji’s second-term ambition had received a major boost through endorsements from all living former governors of Ekiti State, regardless of political affiliation.

Sani also commended the reforms of the APC leadership and President Bola Tinubu, saying they had empowered sub-national governments, including Ekiti State, to flourish.

He said the 500,000-vote target would serve as a political repayment to Tinubu for his administration’s support to state governors across the country.