Kogi West Stakeholders Seek Tinubu, APC Leadership’s Intervention in Senatorial Primary Crisis

Folalumi Alaran in Abuja

Stakeholders in Kogi West Senatorial District have called on President Bola Tinubu and the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to urgently intervene in the lingering crisis arising from the outcome of the party’s senatorial primaries in the district.

The appeal was made by a group, Eagle Watch and Project Accountability Initiative, which described the political tension trailing the disputed primary between Senator Sunday Steve Karimi and Hon. Samuel Bamidele Aro as a growing threat to unity within the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections.

In a statement jointly signed on Wednesday by the group’s Chairman, Alhaji Danasabe Muhammed, and Secretary, Barrister Abdulateef Kareem, the stakeholders urged the party leadership to consider the emergence of a neutral consensus candidate capable of uniting all factions within the district.

According to the statement, the disagreement reportedly stemmed from claims that Senator Karimi was included among candidates favoured under a so-called “Presidential Unity List” allegedly linked to Hon. James Faleke.

The development, the group said, generated resistance from supporters loyal to former Governor Yahaya Bello and the current Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, who were said to have backed Hon. Samuel Bamidele Aro ahead of the primary election.

The group noted that pressure from the Faleke political structure allegedly pushed for Karimi’s emergence as consensus candidate, resulting in conflicting declarations after the primary, with both Karimi and Aro announced by different camps as winners of the contest.

“This unfortunate development has created serious political tension among APC stakeholders and supporters in Kogi West,” the statement said.

The stakeholders warned that allowing either of the two leading contenders to emerge as candidate could deepen divisions within the party and weaken APC’s electoral chances in Kogi State.

To avert further crisis, the group proposed Dr. Ibrahim Tajudeen Bisimillahi as a neutral consensus candidate acceptable to all political interests in the district.

The group argued that Bisimillahi, who hails from Yagba East Local Government Area, represents a more equitable choice given that the area has never produced a senator for Kogi West.

It also cited his loyalty to the APC, cordial relationship with different political blocs, grassroots support, and longstanding political structure across the seven local government areas of the district as reasons for his consideration.

“His emergence as a consensus candidate would significantly reduce tension and create a win-win situation for all stakeholders,” the statement added.

The stakeholders further maintained that Bisimillahi’s candidature would promote fairness, inclusion, and unity within the APC while strengthening the party’s chances in the 2027 elections.

They therefore appealed to President Tinubu and the APC national leadership to prioritise peace, fairness, and party cohesion by facilitating a resolution acceptable to all camps in Kogi West.