Kogi West APC Crisis Deepens as Karimi, Bisimilahi Reject Stakeholders’ Endorsement of Sam Aro for Senate
Political tension is mounting in Kogi West APC after stakeholders adopted Hon. Sam Aro as consensus senatorial candidate, while supporters of Senator Sunday Karimi and Alhaji Bisimilahi rejected the endorsement and demanded open primaries.
LOKOJA — Emerging political alignments within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi West Senatorial District have triggered fresh controversy following the adoption of Hon. Samuel Bamidele Aro as consensus candidate for the district’s 2027 senatorial race by a bloc of party stakeholders.
The development, which followed a high-level APC stakeholders’ strategic meeting held in Lokoja on Monday, May 11, 2026, has since generated sharp disagreements from supporters of incumbent Senator Sunday Steve Karimi and another senatorial aspirant, Alhaji Bisimilahi, both of whom rejected the move and insisted on a transparent primary election process.
The stakeholders’ meeting, attended by prominent APC figures across Kogi West, including party executives, local government chairmen, political office holders, elders, youth and women leaders, focused on charting a political direction for the district ahead of the 2027 general elections.
At the end of deliberations, the stakeholders passed a vote of confidence on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, endorsing both leaders for second terms in office.
The meeting also adopted what participants described as a “Politics of Interest” strategy aimed at promoting unity and reducing internal divisions within the party.
Central to the resolutions was the endorsement of Hon. Sam Aro as the preferred APC candidate for Kogi West Senatorial District. According to the communiqué issued after the meeting, the decision followed consultations across the seven local government areas of the district and was based on considerations of equity, competence, political stability, and effective representation.
The stakeholders further endorsed Rt. Hon. Leke Abejide for Yagba Federal Constituency, Hon. Salman Idris for Kabba-Bunu/Ijumu Federal Constituency, and Hon. Aguye for Lokoja/Kogi-Koton Karfe Federal Constituency.
The communiqué also revealed plans to persuade other aspirants seeking elective offices under the APC platform to step down in favour of consensus candidates to preserve party cohesion ahead of the elections.
However, the endorsement has continued to attract resistance from rival political camps within the APC.
In a strongly worded statement, the Karimi 2.0 Group dismissed the stakeholders’ meeting as an attempt to manipulate the democratic process and impose candidates on party members.
The group described Senator Sunday Karimi as the most visible and impactful political figure in Kogi West, citing his constituency projects, empowerment initiatives, educational interventions, and grassroots engagement as reasons for his widespread support.
According to the group, no gathering of stakeholders possesses the constitutional authority to determine the political future of the district outside established APC procedures and democratic processes.
The statement further alleged that the meeting was held under an atmosphere of political intimidation and warned against attempts to undermine internal democracy within the ruling party.
“The people of Kogi West are politically aware and cannot be forced into accepting predetermined outcomes,” the group stated, while urging supporters of Senator Karimi to remain peaceful and focused ahead of the party primaries.
In a separate reaction, supporters of another APC senatorial aspirant, Alhaji Bisimilahi, also rejected the endorsement of Sam Aro, describing the communiqué as the handiwork of unnamed political interests.
The Bisimilahi campaign maintained that the APC primary election remains the legitimate avenue for determining the party’s candidate and vowed that the aspirant would participate fully in the process.
The group noted that Alhaji Bisimilahi has remained a committed APC member since joining the party and previously contested the 2018 senatorial primary election.
According to the statement, the aspirant enjoys substantial grassroots support across Yagba land and other parts of Kogi West.
The campaign called on the APC National Working Committee and Governor Ododo to ensure a free, fair, and transparent primary election without excluding any aspirant.
Supporters also urged party delegates to resist external pressure and vote according to their conscience during the primaries.
As of press time, the Sam Aro political camp had not officially responded to the reactions from the Karimi and Bisimilahi groups.
Political observers say the growing disagreements reflect the intensifying battle for political control of Kogi West ahead of the APC primaries.
The senatorial district, which comprises Lokoja, Kogi/Koton Karfe, Kabba/Bunu, Ijumu, Yagba East, Yagba West, and Mopamuro local government areas, is expected to witness one of the most competitive APC contests in Kogi State.
Apart from Hon. Sam Aro, Senator Sunday Karimi, and Alhaji Bisimilahi, other prominent political figures linked with the race include former Senator Smart Adeyemi, who recently signaled interest in returning to the Senate.
There are also indications that additional aspirants may still emerge as consultations and political realignments continue within the ruling party.
Despite the internal disagreements, party leaders at the stakeholders’ meeting insisted that the APC remains united and committed to retaining political dominance in Kogi West ahead of the 2027 elections.