Showdown In Kogi West as Elders Reject Division, Stand Firm With Karimi
By Our Correspondent
The Kogi West Elders Assembly (KWEA) has called on members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi West Senatorial District to close ranks and work together ahead of the 2027 general elections, warning against actions capable of creating division within the party.
In a statement issued on Saturday and signed by Air Commodore Hafiz Kpareke (rtd), Dr. Bartholomew Mepaiyeda and Engr. Adetunji Obaro, the assembly reacted to a meeting reportedly held in Lokoja under the banner of the “Kogi West APC Leaders Forum.”
According to KWEA, the meeting, convened at Reverton Hotel, Lokoja, was organised by the Kogi State Security Adviser, Jerry Omodara, and attended by several political appointees and party members from the district.
The elders claimed the gathering was not representative of the APC leadership in Kogi West, noting that prominent party stakeholders, including Senator Smart Adeyemi, APC Deputy National Publicity Secretary Duro Meseko, House of Representatives member Idris Salman, National Population Commission Commissioner Yori Afolabi and Lower Niger Basin Development Authority Managing Director Olusola George Olumoroti, were neither consulted nor present.
The assembly also faulted what it described as attempts by the forum to challenge the outcome of the APC senatorial primary conducted on May 18, 2026, insisting that the exercise validly produced the incumbent senator, Sunday Steve Karimi, as the party’s candidate for the 2027 election.
KWEA alleged that claims suggesting another aspirant won the primary were false and contrary to the decision of the party’s national leadership.
The elders further recalled that Smart Adeyemi and former House of Representatives member Samuel Aro had withdrawn from the primary before the exercise, adding that Senator Karimi emerged with what they described as overwhelming support.
They also referenced an earlier reconciliation meeting convened by Ahmed Usman Ododo, where party leaders were urged to put aside their differences and work towards the success of the APC.
Highlighting Senator Karimi’s record, KWEA credited him with educational support programmes, constituency projects and facilitating road rehabilitation projects linking Kogi West with neighbouring states, describing him as a leader who has earned widespread public goodwill.
The assembly appealed to APC stakeholders across Kogi West to abandon internal disputes and unite behind the party ahead of the 2027 elections.
It urged party members to mobilise support for Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Senator Karimi and other APC candidates, saying unity remains the party’s strongest asset as preparations for the next general election gather momentum.
