KARIMI OR NOTHING? Kogi West Elders Demand APC Unity Ahead of 2027
The Kogi West Elders Assembly (KWEA) has urged members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi West Senatorial District to remain united and work in harmony ahead of the 2027 general elections, warning against moves that could deepen 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 elders responded to a meeting reportedly held in Lokoja under the platform of the “Kogi West APC Leaders Forum.”
The meeting, said to have taken place at Reverton Hotel, Lokoja, was reportedly convened by the Kogi State Security Adviser, Jerry Omodara, and attended by some political appointees and party members from the district.
KWEA argued that the gathering did not represent the true position of APC leaders in Kogi West, noting that key stakeholders such as 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 elders also dismissed attempts to reopen the dispute over the APC senatorial primary held on May 18, 2026, insisting that the exercise produced the incumbent senator, Sunday Steve Karimi, as the party’s valid candidate for the 2027 election.
They rejected claims that another aspirant won the primary, describing such assertions as false and inconsistent with the position of the party’s national leadership.
KWEA further recalled that Smart Adeyemi and former House of Representatives member Samuel Aro withdrew from the primary before the exercise, stressing that Karimi emerged with overwhelming support.
The assembly also referenced an earlier reconciliation meeting convened by Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, where party leaders were urged to bury their differences and work for the success of the APC.
Commending Senator Karimi’s performance, the elders said he had made notable impact through educational support programmes, constituency projects and road rehabilitation efforts linking Kogi West with neighbouring states.
They therefore appealed to APC stakeholders across the senatorial district to drop internal disputes and unite behind the party ahead of the 2027 elections.
The assembly urged members to mobilise support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Senator Karimi and other APC candidates, saying unity remains the party’s strongest asset as the next general election approaches.
