Kogi West APC senate primaries: Protest as plot to replace Senator Karimi’s name exposed
Protest looms across Kogi West Senatorial District Saturday eveniñg following wild rumours of a plot to replace the winner of the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial primaries in Kogi West, Senator Sunday Karimi by one of the co-contestants, Sam Aro.
The alleged plot is coming against the backdrop of the written withdrawals by prominent aspirants, including former member of House of Representatives, Samuel Aro and former Senator Smart Adeyemi, among others ahead of the primaries and against all evidence backed primary election held on the Monday, May 18th; and the results declared by the returning officer in charge of Kogi West APC senatorial primaries.
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Saturday’s protests by the youths especially in Yagba axis of Okunland erupted after the emergence of a forged result declaring Aro the winner of the primary election he did not participate in.
Authentic result sheet of the Kogi West APC senatorial primary declaring Senator Sunday Steve Karimi as winner and duly signed by accredited returning officers.
Senato Karimi emerged winner of the primary, securing the APC ticket for Kogi West Senatorial District. The result was officially announced by the APC Kogi West Senatorial District Returning Officer, Haruna Isah, who stated that Karimi polled 51,665 votes to defeat four other aspirants.
Isah also submitted the certified results to the Chairman of the APC Kogi State Senatorial Primary Election Committee.
The official figures released initially releases are as follows:
Senator Sunday Karimi Steve – 51,665 votes; Samuel Aro – 620 votes; Smart Adeyemi – 571 votes; Alhaji Abubakar Zakari Ola – 414 votes; Elizabeth Adedoyin – 18 votes
The margin was said reflected strong support for Karimi from delegates across the seven local government areas in the district.
Falsified result sheet with forged signature of returning officers.
However, party sources allege that some individuals have been making moves since the election to interfere with the certified result. The matter reportedly came to a head when another set of figures was allegedly introduced.
The APC in Kogi West has called on the party’s national leadership and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene, urging that those behind the alleged plot be called to order and sanctioned to protect the integrity of the primary process.
Party stakeholders said upholding the officially declared result was crucial to maintaining confidence in the APC’s internal democratic processes.
According to reports, President Bola Tinubu, last week, had intervened following a tense period where local political stakeholders and supporters clashed over alleged plots to impose alternative candidates, including former federal lawmaker Sam Aro.
The resolution of the dispute unfolded through
heavy pushback from constituents and support groups against a purported consensus endorsement of Sam Aro, which they alleged was orchestrated by a handful of government appointees. The political standoff was ultimately defused when President Bola Tinubu expressed his backing for the incumbent, Senator Karimi, to continue.
In the interest of party peace and unity, Sam Aro publicly announced his withdrawal from the senatorial race. Following the withdrawals, the APC conducted its primary elections, confirming Senator Sunday Karimi as the party’s official candidate for the 2027 general election.
(DEMOCRACY NEWSLINE NEWSPAPER, MAY 24TH 2026)
