The crisis within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi West Senatorial District deepened on Sunday as a stakeholders’ forum loyal to Senator Sunday Steve Karimi rejected claims that Hon. Sam Aro won the party’s senatorial primary, insisting Karimi remains the APC’s authentic candidate for the 2027 National Assembly election.
The latest development came barely 24 hours after another faction of the party declared support for Aro, maintaining that he emerged victorious in the APC primary conducted on May 18, 2026.
Addressing journalists in Lokoja, the pro-Karimi forum, led by Stanley Ajileye and other stakeholders from Kogi West, described claims that Aro won the primary as false and misleading, warning that such assertions could create unnecessary division within the party.
The forum maintained that Karimi won the primary in a free, fair and transparent exercise conducted in accordance with the APC’s guidelines.
According to the stakeholders, votes were openly collated in the presence of party officials, representatives of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies and members of the media before Karimi was declared winner.
They, however, alleged that some members of the primary election committee later submitted a different result to the party’s National Collation Centre in Abuja, declaring Hon. Sam Aro Samuel Bamidele as the winner.
The stakeholders said Karimi subsequently petitioned the APC Primary Election Appeal Committee, presenting what they described as overwhelming evidence that he was the rightful winner of the exercise.
Ajileye commended the APC national leadership for reviewing the petition and affirming Karimi as the party’s candidate for the 2027 National Assembly election, describing the decision as evidence of the party’s commitment to justice, due process and internal democracy.
“We sincerely thank the leadership of our great party for ensuring that justice prevailed by standing firmly for the truth and protecting the mandate freely given to Senator Sunday Steve Karimi by APC members across Kogi West,” he said.
The forum also praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for what it described as his commitment to fairness, the rule of law and internal democracy, saying the decision had strengthened members’ confidence in the party’s leadership.
The stakeholders further commended Karimi for extending an olive branch to his fellow aspirants following the resolution of the dispute, describing the move as a step towards reconciliation and unity within the APC.
Calling for unity ahead of the 2027 general elections, the forum urged aggrieved party members to put the primary election behind them and work together for the party’s success.
“There is no victor and no vanquished. The true winner is the All Progressives Congress, and the ultimate beneficiaries are the people of Kogi West,” the stakeholders said.
They also appealed to APC members across the senatorial district to rally behind President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Senator Karimi to secure victory for the party in the 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections.
