Kogi West APC Senatorial Primary: Another June 12 in the Making?
Political developments surrounding the recent All Progressives Congress (APC) Senatorial Primary Election in Kogi West Senatorial District have continued to generate intense debate, with stakeholders warning against actions capable of threatening party unity and democratic stability ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The controversy trailing the primary election conducted on May 18, 2026, has drawn comparisons with the historic June 12 political crisis, as party stakeholders call for restraint, reconciliation and respect for democratic processes.
Kogi West Senatorial District, made up of Lokoja/Kogi, Kabba/Bunu/Ijumu and Yagba Federal Constituencies, has over the years maintained a rich political history shaped by prominent leaders and elder statesmen whose integrity and commitment to public service earned them admiration across the country.
However, many leaders believe the district is gradually drifting away from the values of unity, fairness and political decorum that once defined its people.
Analysts argue that the growing desperation among political actors, personal ambitions and internal rivalries are overheating the polity and creating deep divisions among party faithful and communities within the district.
Historically, the district has produced several senators from different local government areas and federal constituencies. Late Senator Justus Olu from Yagba Federal Constituency emerged in 1979, while Senator Joe Funsho Obasaju from Kabba/Bunu Federal Constituency was elected in 1983 before the military interruption of democratic governance.
In 1992, Senator Sunday Bolorunduro Awoniyi represented the district before another military takeover truncated the democratic process. Senator Ado Shaibu from Koton-Karfe also emerged during the aborted transition programme of the late General Sani Abacha administration.
With the return to democracy in 1999, Senator Tunde Ogbeha from Lokoja/Kogi Federal Constituency served two terms in the Senate between 1999 and 2007.
Thereafter, Senator Smart Adeyemi from Ijumu Local Government Area represented Kogi West from 2007 to 2015. In 2015, he lost the seat to Senator Dino Melaye, also from Ijumu, further extending the dominance of the area in the district’s senatorial representation.
The rivalry between both politicians resurfaced in 2019, leading to a prolonged legal and political battle that eventually returned Adeyemi to the Senate after a rerun election.
Political analysts note that Ijumu Local Government Area cumulatively occupied the Kogi West Senate seat for about 16 years before the emergence of the current senator, Senator Sunday Steve Karimi from Yagba Federal Constituency, in 2023.
Supporters of Senator Karimi have continued to defend his performance in office, insisting that he has surpassed many of his predecessors in terms of constituency projects, empowerment initiatives and legislative representation.
As preparations intensify ahead of the 2027 elections, the battle for the APC senatorial ticket became one of the most fiercely contested political contests in the state.
Among those who indicated interest in the race were the incumbent Senator Sunday Karimi, former Senator Smart Adeyemi, Hon. Samuel Bamidele Aro, Elizabeth Adedoyin, Alhaji Tajudeen Bisimillahi and Ustaz Zakari Abubakar Ola.
The contest witnessed intense consultations, strategic alliances, political calculations and high-level meetings aimed at securing support from delegates and party stakeholders.
As tensions escalated, Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo reportedly convened a crucial reconciliation meeting in May 2026 involving aspirants, stakeholders and party loyalists in a bid to prevent division within the party.
Following the meeting, most of the aspirants publicly announced their withdrawal from the race and declared support for the incumbent Senator Sunday Karimi.
However, Ustaz Zakari Abubakar Ola was widely believed to have remained in the contest, despite the reconciliation efforts.
At the conclusion of the APC primary election, the Returning Officer, Hon. Haruna Isa, announced Senator Karimi as winner with 51,665 votes.
According to the declared results, Hon. Samuel Bamidele Aro scored 620 votes, Senator Smart Adeyemi polled 571 votes, Ustaz Zakari Abubakar Ola secured 414 votes, while Alhaji Tajudeen Bisimillahi and Elizabeth Adedoyin recorded 18 votes each.
The total votes cast stood at 53,306 out of the APC membership strength of 58,433, according to the electoral officials.
The outcome of the exercise has since generated questions and controversy, particularly over how aspirants who had publicly withdrawn from the race still secured votes during the primary.
APC leaders have also questioned whether candidates who withdrew from the contest were entitled to maintain agents during the election process.
Despite the controversies, supporters of Senator Karimi insist that the election was free, fair and decisive, maintaining that the incumbent remains the validly elected APC candidate for the 2027 senatorial election.
Political stakeholders across the district have nonetheless urged aggrieved parties to embrace reconciliation and avoid actions capable of destabilizing the party ahead of the general elections.
Analysts warn that prolonged political bitterness, divisive press conferences and attempts to reopen settled contests may further deepen political tensions within Kogi West.
Many believe that once elections are concluded, the focus should shift toward party unity, healing and collective development rather than continued political warfare.
For now, the political atmosphere in Kogi West remains tense as supporters of various camps continue to defend their positions while awaiting the next phase of political developments in the district.
Whether the controversy surrounding the APC senatorial primary becomes another defining political crisis in Kogi West remains to be seen, but stakeholders insist that preserving unity, integrity and democratic values must remain the ultimate priority.
“A word is enough for the wise,” a stakeholder remarked.
