Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has described the All Progressives Congress’ victory in four of the five legislative bye-elections held across four states as significant ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Keyamo made the assessment on Sunday while reacting to the results of the elections conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Saturday, September 19.
The APC secured four seats across Kano, Bauchi, Gombe and Delta states, while the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) won the remaining seat in Bauchi State.
The contests comprised one House of Representatives seat and four State House of Assembly seats. INEC had scheduled the elections to fill vacant legislative positions across the four states.
In Gombe State, APC candidate Kallamu Usman MaiJama’a won the Gombe/Kwami/Funakaye Federal Constituency seat with 41,121 votes, while the Labour Party candidate polled 3,553 votes and the APM candidate received 872 votes.
In Kano, APC candidate Husseini Datti emerged winner of the Dawakin Kudu State Constituency election with 22,890 votes.
The ruling party also won the Disina State Constituency in Bauchi, where its candidate, Yakubu Ali, secured 5,846 votes against the APM candidate’s 5,225 votes.
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The APM recorded its only victory in the five contests in the Sakwa State Constituency of Bauchi State. Its candidate, Adamu Yakubu, polled 8,515 votes, defeating the APC candidate, who scored 3,771 votes.
In Delta State, APC candidate Okolosi Ator won the Udu State Constituency seat with 8,724 votes, according to results reported following the election.
Reacting to the outcome, Keyamo said the geographical spread of the APC victories across the North-West, North-East and South-South was noteworthy in the context of the 2027 presidential election.
He also referred to the constitutional requirement for a presidential candidate to obtain at least 25 per cent of votes in two-thirds of Nigeria’s states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Keyamo, however, did not provide a detailed analysis of how the bye-election results could affect the 2027 contest. Instead, he said he would reserve a fuller assessment for after the general election.
“Let me keep our gunpowder dry for now. A fuller analysis of this significant factor in Presidential elections will follow on January 19th or 20th, 2027,” he said.
The bye-elections also provided the electoral commission with an opportunity to assess its procedures ahead of the 2027 polls. INEC Chairman Joash Amupitan described the exercise as an important operational test that could provide lessons for the general elections.
The 2027 presidential and House of Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027, according to INEC’s published election calendar.

